I Used to Wonder about Joggers, "Where are You Going in Such a Hurry?"

Before this journey began, I would have scoffed at the idea of running: "Run?! Pah! No way!"  

Now I love this part of my life. So much in fact that I notice a decline in my level of contentment if I do not get out for a run at least every second day. I get moody and grumpy and, quite frankly, people start to urge me to get out pound the pavement!

What changed?

I think the simplest most honest answer is: everything changed. Everything has changed for me physically but also mentally. I have more energy, more motivation, more determination. I believe these things come partly from the improved physical condition but tied in with it all is my new-found contentment. I am happy and want to find more ways to nourish that. And one way I have found is to challenge and push my body.

Pushing myself physically used to be constant: walking up stairs was a push. And there was no pride or satisfaction in the accomplishment. Oh how things have changed! Now I push myself and am rewarded with genuine pride, delight, scream-from-the-rooftops excitement. And not because I am fit. That came later. Because I am pushing myself to do things I did not think possible and you know what? It is possible. I felt the same consuming satisfaction when I completed my first couch-to-5-k learn-to-run session in which you walk almost the whole time. But the sense of accomplishment, I got out and did it, was so utterly wonderful and kind of unfamiliar.

How often do we accomplish, not 'do' but actually 'accomplish' something that is for ourselves and really and truly not for anyone else? It's a wonderful feeling! And it is a feeling I am annoying regularly now through my running. Who knew?!

Overnight Oats - What a Great Discovery!

Thanks to PepperLynn for this fabulous recipe find!

I take this to work in an insulated container for my morning snack: it is so very versatile and satisfying. It has the consistency of oatmeal, just cold and travels well!


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oats (old fashioned, not quick)
• 1/4 cup fat free yogurt, Greek/Balkan style
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• tsp chia seeds
• tsp hemp hearts
• tsp honey
• 1/4 fruit of choice

Flavour Ideas:

• Chopped mango (my fave!)
• Banana slices
• Frozen berries

Method:

Mix it altogether and leave in the fridge overnight or at least a couple hours so the oatmeal can soak up all the liquid.

Possible Alternatives / Things to Try:

The link above offers all sorts of flavour ideas as will a Google search. So far I have stuck to fruit and love it.

Maybe I Should Have Been an Actress...

As I kid I yearned to be an actress - more for the fame and fortune than for any love of the art.  But just now it occurred to me that I feel like I am playing a character:

woman, early thirties, slim, athletic.

The first one is true: "woman".  The second, "early thirties", is a stretch but apparently the weight-loss has taken 'years off me' (I'm really late-thirties).  The final two are so far from my self-image and the pre-loss-me that they seem a joke!  I must have a very elaborate make-up team that have made me look this way, "slim, athletic".  Slim with some sort of body costume like when they made Courteney Cox in Friends look obese.  And the athletic bit, it's like I have muscle definition painted on to me like those t-shirts with a painted on stomach of six-pack-abs.

I am playing this character as a 'method-actor' would: living the life of this woman.  I dress in flattering, colourful, playful clothes.  I wear my hair long and often tied up on top of my head, like a dancer, I was told.  I wear make-up.  I run three times a week, that's just what I do.  I wear nice shoes (because I'm not always worried about sore feet).  I laugh a lot.

So, will I become this woman?  I don't mean to imply that I believe I will become younger!  But will I become so comfortable in this costume that it will feel like 'me' and I will lose my association to the 'me' that is still in my head?r

Shopping while Shrinking and Bargain Hunting

If you are losing weight, thrift stores provide a very affordable way to 'rent' clothes while you are dropping sizes but not yet at your goal.  This was one of the most fun parts for me - I've been recreating my wardrobe as I've been losing weight and I've had to re-donate items along the way as I shrunk out of them too!

I could never afford to buy new and I have had to completely replace my wardrobe. Lucky for me, I was already bargain hunter, it's in my blood. I spent Saturdays as a little girl cruising the garage sales with my Grandma and my Mom. Now my Mom and I shop at thrift stores for most household and fashion items (Value Village being my shop of choice).  

A couple of tips to the wise to make bargain shopping work for you:

• You have to spend the time & be patient.  It may take a while to find stuff and you really do have to rifle through all the items on the rack but it is so worth it!
• It is best to just go to "browse" since you may be disappointed if you are looking for something too specific.  I keep a list of stuff I'd like to find and it may take a couple of visits.
• Keep an eye out for their frequent-flyer-type promotions, an extra 30% off makes the bargains that much sweeter!
• Quality items are in there.  I often flick through the hangers just reading labels and then stop to investigate labels I know and love or ones I don't recognise in case I have found a gem.

The extra effort is worth it.  My wardrobe is now stocked with brands I could never afford - Esprit, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein & Ralph Lauren jeans - and all for $10-15 for a typical dress or trousers!  Less for separates.  

And you get to feel really good because you're "going green" by reusing!

My Reflection

I am struck by a desire to reflect a little today. But rather than my new and almost unrecognisable reflection in the mirror, I am referring to the past year and half of my life. There have been some very significant events and changes recently that have brought me to this point in my life and I want to consider briefly the route that I have travelled.

19 months ago my son was born. The most beautiful, sweet, perfect little boy. My memory of his first few days - and weeks even - is a bit hazy, however, as I hemorrhaged following delivery and suffered significant blood loss. Thinking back, I was in a lot of danger and had I been in another part of the world without a caregiver as wonderful as my midwife whose skill stopped my bleeding I most certainly would have died.

Not even three months later my husband suffered a heart attack which led to cardiac arrest. Basically he dropped dead in our friends' living room. The paramedics worked magic and kept his body alive using CPR and eventually brought his heart back to life with an automated external defibrillator (AED). Two stents-later thanks to the miracles of modern science he's now fully recovered and fit as ever.

Looking back, my sweet girl and boy almost lost both of their parents in the short span of only three months. We are so lucky. So unbelievably lucky.

I suffered some pretty serious after-shocks from all of this. I wonder if it was PTSD, or some form of it. I was a bit of a nervous wreck, quite frankly. Kind of nixed the joys of mat leave home with my two sweet cherubs.

To be continued...

Fashion is Fun - Who Knew?

There's more! More benefits of losing the weight! The more of this that I can record, the more likely I hope I am to keep the 'new me'!

I really enjoy clothes shopping and wearing my finds, a new-found pleasure!  This is partly because I get to dress however I please now:

• I fit clothes within the "normal" range so I'm not just hunting for what happens to be available in a 20 or 22.
• I feel GOOD in clothes.  I wonder how long this will last?  I am so excited by the new figure that I love how it looks and love finding things that flatter it!
• My new confidence is enabling me to be more adventurous, more willing to let my creativity express itself in new ways including dressing.
• Little did I know, I think I may have been hiding a lot over the past few years.  Don't get me wrong, I am hardly a wallflower - I am loud, opinionated (outspoken?), never-lost-for-words (social?).  However, I was ashamed of my figure.  I never spoke those words to myself but I was.  Anyway, now that I am not I will wear brighter colours, more patters, more interesting attire.

Try New Things - Bring it on!

A little ramble on yet another benefit of losing the weight - must not lose sight of why I want to maintain this!

I feel now like I could accomplish anything.  Okay, maybe not anything, but more, more than I could before.

I am more willing to try new things: I wear dresses and sometimes with heels!  I run for crying out loud!  I never would have dreamed I could be a runner but I so much am a runner now.  I am daydreaming about cycling.  I think I will wear shorts this summer (eek!)

I am also considering trying bigger things: do I want to go back to school?  Do I want to do a triathlon?  I'd like to take some yoga classes, and maybe zumba.

It's funny reading back over those examples seeing the contrast between the trivial dress-sense and the exercise choices like running and cycling etc.  These two things are so very prevalent in my life right now.