I received a wonderful email from my sister recently.
It was titled "40 tips to a better life in 2009" I'm turning 40 in 2009 and I made a resolution to chose healthy living. This is certainly a wonderful guide for me to have.
Here are the first 5. I'd like to know you are coming back to see all 40 so I will do my best to post five every week for the next 8 weeks. This makes it easier to consider and implement if you are interested.
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
I'll be back soon. I need to use writing to figure out why I chose to try the coffee cake at work this morning, which was followed then by the two remaining Christmas cookies that I uncovered in the pantry, followed by a few shortbread cookies. The final sleeve was opened tonight and they didn't get put back into the freezer so I ate them. Now they are gone. No more temptation.
OK, I guess I am just going to keep on writing.
I have an addiction to sugar. The dessert kind... though it may also be the reason that one glass of wine isn't always enough. I know this yet I still made that stupid choice this morning to feed the temptation with homemade blueberry coffee cake.
I walked by it.
I resisted.
I went back to my desk and announced that it would be a hard thing to avoid and one coworker said "it's fantastic, I couldn't resist it." Another coworker said, "oh, I had to try it too but I only took a one inch square".
A one inch square, now there's an idea. There's a dumb idea for someone who knows how hard it is to stop once I have started. The one inch square was not enough. I went back three times for one inch squares.
Writing is a very strengthening exercise. By writing it down I am getting smarter as to how I will handle that challenge tomorrow, or maybe even later tonight. Write first, wait it out...and then decide if it's really the choice I want to make.
Thanks for checking in on my journey.
Kris B
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Two in one day?
Well, I know I miss writing and the fact that I am posting twice in one day is proof of that.
What else have I learned?
I learned that you can buy semi-sweet chocolate chips that are sweetened with grain instead of sugar. They are better than the ones we grew up with and for someone like me who has a sugar addiction, easier to keep under control.
I learned that if I start my day off with two large glasses of water, my body wants to drink more water all day long and eat less. This doesn't work if I eat first and drink the water second. I don't know why, but it's something new that I have learned by listening to my body and understanding how it reacts and response to what gets put inside.
Oh, the coolest thing....I learned that in the middle of a cold Wisconsin winter that there are WARM SALAD recipes to enjoy. This week I have had a new one every day of the week. No more regular old iceberg lettuce in our house. Yesterday it was spinach, today it was a rainbow chard, the other day bok choy...with some yummy roasted vegetables or nuts....it's a wonderful dinner on a freezing cold night. Added bonus is the yummy dressings that are homemade and EASY. If you come to the Barger house, you can count on a salad being on the menu. Not too worry about my family, they are still eating too. Bill is still the wonderful cook he has always been.
That's all for now.
Believing,
Kris
What else have I learned?
I learned that you can buy semi-sweet chocolate chips that are sweetened with grain instead of sugar. They are better than the ones we grew up with and for someone like me who has a sugar addiction, easier to keep under control.
I learned that if I start my day off with two large glasses of water, my body wants to drink more water all day long and eat less. This doesn't work if I eat first and drink the water second. I don't know why, but it's something new that I have learned by listening to my body and understanding how it reacts and response to what gets put inside.
Oh, the coolest thing....I learned that in the middle of a cold Wisconsin winter that there are WARM SALAD recipes to enjoy. This week I have had a new one every day of the week. No more regular old iceberg lettuce in our house. Yesterday it was spinach, today it was a rainbow chard, the other day bok choy...with some yummy roasted vegetables or nuts....it's a wonderful dinner on a freezing cold night. Added bonus is the yummy dressings that are homemade and EASY. If you come to the Barger house, you can count on a salad being on the menu. Not too worry about my family, they are still eating too. Bill is still the wonderful cook he has always been.
That's all for now.
Believing,
Kris
Still Believing...
Hello,
It's been a couple weeks and I have learned a couple of new things. Last week I worked 4 six hour days instead of 5 five hour days. I learned that consecutive six hour days is still too much. The first two days I was fine, the third day I felt myself wearing down, the fourth day...needless to say, it took me about four days to recover.
What does that mean?
I was able to do enough to get by and very little extra. On Tuesday, I had to stay home from work and rest.
I also learned that it really makes a difference what I put into my body. I haven't been consuming any artificial sweetners and very little caffenine for quite some time however, the other night I broke down and had a few CC and diet cokes with my husband. Now, it could have been the whiskey but I definitely believe the diet coke had something to do with how awful I felt for days to follow. I don't want to put anything in my body that is going to make me feel like crap and if I do, I have now learned moderation. Believe me, it will never be easy, I will always be practicing, but I know now something about how the amazing body works and what it needs and to be more kind to it.
Well....I have to buzz and get Jake from an after school program.
I will write again, sooner rather than later as there are more things that I have learned that I am looking forward to sharing with you.
Still Believing,
Kris B
It's been a couple weeks and I have learned a couple of new things. Last week I worked 4 six hour days instead of 5 five hour days. I learned that consecutive six hour days is still too much. The first two days I was fine, the third day I felt myself wearing down, the fourth day...needless to say, it took me about four days to recover.
What does that mean?
I was able to do enough to get by and very little extra. On Tuesday, I had to stay home from work and rest.
I also learned that it really makes a difference what I put into my body. I haven't been consuming any artificial sweetners and very little caffenine for quite some time however, the other night I broke down and had a few CC and diet cokes with my husband. Now, it could have been the whiskey but I definitely believe the diet coke had something to do with how awful I felt for days to follow. I don't want to put anything in my body that is going to make me feel like crap and if I do, I have now learned moderation. Believe me, it will never be easy, I will always be practicing, but I know now something about how the amazing body works and what it needs and to be more kind to it.
Well....I have to buzz and get Jake from an after school program.
I will write again, sooner rather than later as there are more things that I have learned that I am looking forward to sharing with you.
Still Believing,
Kris B
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A new year
We are ten days into the new year and ever since we rang in 2009 I have been thinking about catching up with you. Ever year for the past four or five years I have always spent considerable amount of time writing out my goals for the year ahead. I need a plan. I need goals.
This year however, I did not write out my goals. I simply made a statement to live by.
"I will chose to live a healthy life."
The greatest example so far are the wonderful walks I have been taking since we welcomed "Star" into our family on the Saturday following Christmas. She was a gift to Emma and Jake from Bill and I, however, we have all come to love her for very different reasons. I love my new walking partner. Who would of thought a K9 companion could be an exercise accountability partner?
This week, it was my fortunate luck to be watching Oprah when she talked about her struggles with weight. One particular statement she made was so powerful and personal for me....she said that she needs to love the body that she is in. She needs to remember that the body she currently has is the same body that continues to have a heart that beats and lungs that breathe and God's blessing her with these working organs and another day. All of this regardless of how she treats it. Regardless of the medications, regardless of what food she choses, regardless....her heart still beats, her lungs still breathe, now why in the world would anyone chose to give anything less to than the best to this amazing and loving body.
All of a sudden, "chosing to be healthy" just got a little easier.
Well, Star is seeking my attention so off I go...more on chosing to be healthy to follow in the days and weeks to come.
klb
This year however, I did not write out my goals. I simply made a statement to live by.
"I will chose to live a healthy life."
The greatest example so far are the wonderful walks I have been taking since we welcomed "Star" into our family on the Saturday following Christmas. She was a gift to Emma and Jake from Bill and I, however, we have all come to love her for very different reasons. I love my new walking partner. Who would of thought a K9 companion could be an exercise accountability partner?
This week, it was my fortunate luck to be watching Oprah when she talked about her struggles with weight. One particular statement she made was so powerful and personal for me....she said that she needs to love the body that she is in. She needs to remember that the body she currently has is the same body that continues to have a heart that beats and lungs that breathe and God's blessing her with these working organs and another day. All of this regardless of how she treats it. Regardless of the medications, regardless of what food she choses, regardless....her heart still beats, her lungs still breathe, now why in the world would anyone chose to give anything less to than the best to this amazing and loving body.
All of a sudden, "chosing to be healthy" just got a little easier.
Well, Star is seeking my attention so off I go...more on chosing to be healthy to follow in the days and weeks to come.
klb
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