Post: #1

Aloha fellow 21DHL'ers
I'm woefully behind on my participation in the cyber forum, but there has been so much action offline that it has been hard to keep up! I actually started my journey a year ago in January 2010 when I woke up depressed, alone and 300 pounds. I was far from home and had the typical, "how did I let myself get like this?" reaction when I already knew the answer was poor self esteem & bad self image drowned out with the narcotic like delight of sugary treats, wine, and rich foods. Long story short- I started going to the gym a few times a week, stopped drinking soda, and kept a food journal to make smarter, less impulsive food choices. I'm down 50 pounds in a year which I am very proud of, but have a long way to go so this challenge is a BIG boost back on track as I started slipping the last few months of 2010 (which my body reminded me of when I had a gallbladder attack on new years day and had to go to the emergency room....ugh, just say noooooo to greasy pizza:angry Some of my goals:

1. Don't compare myself to others too much- our journeys have some parallels and there is so much we can learn from each other, but life is not a competition (I get hard on myself this way, especially at the gym). I find comfort somehow in repeating the last line of the Invictus poem in my head to keep focused: "I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul".

2. It's okay to say no! If I focus all my energy on trying to please others and don't invest in me then I just get burned out and can't truly be present / enjoy my experiences.

3. Food is not a burden to be thrown together and impulsively grabbed. Continue to put thought, planning and joy into what I eat...one of the biggest delights of my life was spending the weekend with a group of Swedish ladies I met in Tokyo. They were so radiantly beautiful and I wondered their secret. They made a whole lovely day of planning the meal, going to market, cooking together and singing over a leisurely smartly portioned dinner :-) LOL, like a scene out of Eat, Pray, Love or something, but it brought me out of my American fast food and TV dinner bubble and opened me up to the delights of the world :-)) Being in Hawaii now I've found some great markets and managed to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet, but sugar remains my kryptonite. I'm giving macrobiotic cooking classes a try over the next few weekends just to get more knowledge/info on preparing healthy dishes.

I could go on and on, but these three points are the ones that stick out most in my mind. I truly thank everyone for their support :hug:and cheer you on big time with your personal goals! You are beautiful spirits! Warm hugs & much Alohaaaaaa, Crystal AKA "brilliantlypure"

Post: #2

Hi Crystal!

You really have meaningful goals and I truly admire you for it. I was wondering what you mean by saying sugar is your kryptonite. I'm actually avoiding sugary food because it zaps energy but I'm having a hard time because I love chocolates.

Keep up the good work and I wish you the absolute best.

There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.

Post: #3

Thanks for the encouragement! :-) I'm the same way with you in regards to sugar, it's my BIG weakness and addiction. When I said it was like Kryptonite I was making a little joke and reference to the comic Superman...he is a superhero, but his one weakness that can destroy him is this rock called kryptonite ;-)

Post: #4

Hi Crystal,
Please do take very good care of yourself. Your 3 goals are absolute spot on in terms of helping you lead a healthy life style. Great work! Keep the flame alive! I like your 3 goals. And yes... the invictus poem is wonderful! googled it. I plan to have it on my desk @ work. do tweet regularly and let us know if you blog too!

Love,
Rohit

Post: #5

Today was a great day for nutrition and shopping for fresh foods. I'm trying to add lots of color to my food with a fun mix of vegetables so I had a great spinach salad with beets, carrots, purple cabbage, chickpeas and a little hijiki seaweed which is rich in calcium. I couldn't have breakfast because I had a doctor's appointment so my energy was a little low by the time lunch came around, but I had been drinking water & green tea all morning and then a little Kombucha with ginger at lunch :-))) I could leave work early so I'm changing now and heading down the street to enjoy a few hours at the beach with a good book (I've got a pile of them that I keep trying to make time and read, but time frequently escapes me ;-) Hope everyone is having a wonderful day in their part of the world! Hugs, Crystal

Post: #6

*hugs* I envy your discipline and your joy with this challenges! Wonderful to read. It makes me want to do so either

Post: #7

Got up early today (on a Saturday, gasp!) and went to Zumba for a fun workout! Trying to plan my meals for the week so that I am on track with plenty of fruit and veggies :-)) Tomorrow I start my Macrobiotic cooking classes. Since I lived in Japan for so long I think this will help in the overall quality and variety of healthy dishes that I can prepare for myself. I saw that today's discussion is about trigger foods and mine are sweets of all kinds...I'm so addicted to sugar. I've managed to wean myself off of caffeine pretty well, but the sugar is a killer (*_*). I'm finding gradual substitutes like kabocha Japanese pumpkin or sweet potato with just a little grated cinnamon because they have a natural sweetness that satisfies me. Fruits like blueberries, mango and pomegranates are also personal favorites. Things are going along well with planning and preparation I just need to manage my mental health just like my body...make sure I'm rested and try to manage stress with meditation, etc..this helps keep me on track and away from toxic food, habits more than anything. Saw this on Deepak Chopra's Twitter feed today and felt like it really tied in with my struggle: "Emotional intelligence begins when you feel what you feel without labels or evaluation" :-)) Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!
Hugs, Crystal

Post: #8

This week was a challenge in terms of keeping up with my 8am to 5pm, Mon to Fri work schedule plus six days or exercise after work AND going to university online...plus trying to fit in sleep and a trifle of a social life (thus my lag in my journal because frequently sleep knocked me out before I could log my adventures :-) Loving the healthy foods and trying to stay steady and patient (that my goals will be reached) with my routine like the turtle and not let impatience take over and sabotage me to rush or go off course....I just need to figure out how to get more hours in the day :-)) and how to survive on less sleep because that seems to be the thing that gets last priority as I work on all the rest! Hugs to all :-)

Post: #9

Hi Crystal
Sounds like you are really busy so well done for making progress with your goals!
Yes stay patient - one day at a time of doing the right thing will get you where you want to be for sure
Dont go without sleep though - it tends to make one bad tempered and hungry (speaking from experience )

Post: #10

I also love Zumba, so glad I got involved in it. Best of luck as you continue on your healthy journey!!

Post: #11

Thanks for the support Jade & Angielee :-)
You are so right about the sleep! I was feeling so grumpy on Friday after a busy week and when I got home from work I passed out for a two hour nap...woke up just in time to get to the last yoga class. My body is probably detoxing from not taking in mass amounts of coffee and less sugar (although the occasional chocolate treat is still getting to me or I would meltdown ;-)

Today was a U.S. holiday (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day) but I got up early and went to a special "Zumba in the circuit" class which combined Zumba and circuit training then stayed for a yoga class...got home and had some tea, blueberries and yogurt then proceeded to crash and sleep again for four hours :-) LOL-- I see a pattern. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is off to a great start for the week! We're in the home stretch and hopefully have developed some new lifestyle changes and habits that will carry on :-))