My Six Month Intervention or Reinvention!!!

 

Learn something new!

For the next six months I'm going to push myself to try and learn something new. It started last week when I enrolled in an eight week on line business school training course.  This has been difficult for me because I'm quite technology challenged! I don't have an I-phone, Ipod, or a blackberry because I don't know how to use one!!! But I realize it's time that I take myself and my business to another level. I need to get with the times, get with the the program! I love being in business school and I'm learning a lot and I'm meeting some amazing people!!! 

No relationships/dating or even flirting! 

The other thing I'm doing for six month is learning how to be with myself, by myself. I'm a serial dater!! So I'm choosing to learn who I would be if I wasn't in a relationship/partnership?  Trying to learn about me..... this has been really challenging because I am one of those people who just loves the idea of lovership/partnership! Yet, I'm learning a lot about myself and realizing that alone does not necessarily mean lonely.

I'm also a flirt so trying not to flirt has been hard because I flirt without even knowing I'm flirting!  But I'm turning over a new leaf! And please don't flirt with me to try and break my sabbatical! lol.  Some of my friends have placed bets that I won't make it through six months but I'm going to try!!! 

Eating well and taking care of my body.

I'm taking the next six months to be mindful of how I treat my body and what I eat. I'm carefully monitoring, how do I physically take care of myself? I tend to overeat when I'm stressed. I also tend to stop exercising when I'm stressed. So over eating and no exercising is a bad combination. I then gain weight at a rapid pace!!!!

And yeah, yeah, I know someone is going to write to me about accepting my body the way it is! Well, to be brutally honest, I haven't gotten there yet! 

So for the next six months I'm challenging myself to be really conscious of the food that I eat, and how I handle stress. This has been the most challenging aspect of my new six month sabbatical so I have chosen to break this six month challenge into a daily challenge. Each day I promise myself that I won't use food as a comfort, and that each day I will move my body in some way and do some form of exercise.

I'm hoping to emerge from this six month reinvention/intervention a better person. I will keep you posted. I encourage you all to join me! Lets do something new for the next six months! Let me know what you are up too! And what are you doing in the next six months to be a better you!!!! 

Encouraging Our Kids to Move & Eat Right - Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign

I LOVE this campaign! Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' Initiative is so important for our children. With the growing rate of child obesity and the lack of exercise due to the popularity of computers, video games and television, I appreciate the First Lady's stance on finding ways for making living a healthy and active lifestyle look simple, fun and engaging.

I really liked the previous campaign with Beyonce's dance sequence (I sometimes try to get in on a move or two as quick exercise) but am excited to see that she has involved some familiar faces from our childhood -Sesame Street and Big Bird.

In her third year since its inception, Michelle will be going on a national tour for the program starting shortly.

Check out the Let's Move ad below starring Big Bird:

What do you folks think of Michelle's initiative? Will you be trying it out with your kids?

Candida Cleanse update

So I've been on the Candida cleanse now for a week! Overall it has been going well. I'm quite proud of myself for sticking to it as much as possible. My biggest challenge has been the chocolate cravings, and it doesn't help that I'm days away from my period! Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a big chocolate addict! European chocolate and expensive chocolate is my weakness!  And I've been known to drive far across town for a slice of decadent chocolate mousse cake! And don't get me started about the Magnum double chocolate ice cream bars!!  I would end a relationship with anyone who dared to eat or touch my precious Magnum bars in the freezer!   Just, writing about chocolate is making me salivate, so I will stop!

So changes I have noticed? I am definitely less bloated and overall my body feels lighter.  I also have noticed that the brain fog that I had been experiencing has slowly started to shift and I feel much more clearer in my thoughts. Before I would easily be distracted or often just be very forgetful.  I also feel much more physically  "present" in my body. So I'm very happy about that.

The biggest change I have noticed is my energy level. For the past few months I had been feeling exhausted. And I don't use the word exhausted lightly, it was beyond tired it was extreme exhaustion.   I was also suffering from insomnia and even when I did sleep I was always complaining of feeling exhausted.  Since starting the cleanse things have shifted, I've now moved up the positive scale from exhausted to just feeling  a little tired throughout the day.  I'm hoping that in the next few weeks I can report to you that I'm feeling full of energy. So fingers crossed.  And my sleeping has really improved the only thing that now keeps me up is the peeing trips to the bathroom because I'm drinking so much damn water!

I'm still experiencing trouble with my stomach and feeling some stomach rot and overall queasiness but I'm hoping that will eventually go away as well. 

So, I have eliminated, dairy, coffee, tea, cheese, bread, pasta, soda and of course sugar!!!   And sugar is in everything including bbq sauces, mayonnaise etc, you would be surprised at all the "hidden" sugar we consume every day.  I would suggest you really start reading your food labels!!   You will be shocked!  

Of course everyone is wondering have I "cheated...."

I must admit, I did "cheat" on day 5 and ate about six french fries, and while visiting my mother in Florida she cooked stew peas with her infamous spinners/dumplings! So I did have two small spinners!!! But a part from that I've been on track.  I'm feeling very proud of myself! I actually went to the Cheesecake Factory with friends and passed on the delicious hot fresh bread and I  didn't have any dessert which is a first for me !!! So I will keep you posted! Wishing all of you great health! If anyone else is doing a cleanse or making any healthier  lifestyle choices please feel free to share with our blog family in the comments box below!