I went to Yoga today, and instead of the plain ol yoga they were supposed to have they had a substitute for the normal Yogi, and she did her bodyflow workout for us instead. Now mind you, I've been trying to make it to the Bodyflow class for weeks, but something always comes up and I can't make it. Well what a pleasant surprise for me. Bodyflow is basically a class the gym made that combines Tai Chi, Yoga, and some Pilates. It was Amazing! And at this one point, I was able to do a full backbend today. Maybe I'm getting stronger, I'm sure I am, but I haven't been able to do this pose or have this kind of flexibility for a long time. I don't know what it was, but during this move when i took a chance to go into the full back bend, I pushed myself up and felt tremendous relief and release and I started crying. It was very moving. Maybe I'm a freak or something, but they say that sometimes yoga brings out different emotions. It was such an enormous step for me that I didn't think I'd be able to do for a long time, or ever again for that matter. I think it proved to me that I can heal, get better, be stronger, and hopefully live to be 90. Back Bend Move I did...
Yoga is NOT for wimps, wussies, or little "girly" men!
Close minded people that don't believe me can go sign up for and participate in a class. A beginners class not hard enough for you? Then try some Vinyasa yoga, which moves from posture to pose quickly and is a lot harder. Yoga is an amazing exercise and lifestyle. It is great for all ages, shapes, sizes, weights, and disciplines. There are more types of yoga than I have learned yet. Some focus more on stretching, other on cardio, some on chanting, others on meditation and relaxation, some you do in a hot environment, etc.. There is a yoga for everyone! I also recommend trying yoga for everyone, even if it's just once. It increases your flexibility, makes your blood pump, helps your circulatory system, helps you lose weight, and gain and tone muscles. It's also perfect for people with injuries or people that just hate the monotonous cardio workout of the dreaded treadmill.
Yoga is perfect for me. I have numerous health issues that have improved significantly with yoga. Plus now if I don't work out, I feel like ick because my fibro flareups begin and then I can't move around much. Life is miserable to me now without my gym time everyday.
Eating :)
Ok onto something I haven't talked about yet. What the heck do I eat? Let's not even talk about what I used to eat, then I'd need a novel lol. I'll list what I know so far....
Basically I've been told three important things to be eating: Protein, Carbs, and Fats. Good fats mind you. I know you're thinking...Alright chocolate and cake! No not quite. ;)
Protein: Lean chicken cuts like the breasts, lean ground meat, lean meats, buffalo, ostrich, emu, etc.. Don't knock it till you try it people, buffalo and flightless birds taste delicious! (No offense to vegetarians which I respect very much, I'm just a meat person)
Carbs: Whole grains! In moderation of course, carbs and too many of them will not work for you and defeat any chance of losing weight and burning muscle. Veggies and more veggies! Fruit! Fruit actually have a lot of carbs! Ridiculous! Watch the fruit, but it's good for you.
Fats: Almonds, peanut butter (an easy one for me because I loooooove PB!), olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, safflower oil, flaxseed oil, etc..
Now I've been doing really good, and I'm not finding a hard time avoiding bad foods anymore. I cut them out completely several weeks ago, and have spent a long time finding alternatives to fulfill my cravings, like fruit. I don't even want cookies and cakes anymore. I had a small cake piece at a baby shower I attended the other day and it was gross to me. So hey! Awesome! I never thought I'd see the day when I would hate cake. This coming from a person who would send Robert out at random times during the day and night to go get me a piece of cake. I freakin loved cake. So this should prove that if I can do it, anyone can!
Another important food item I've been digging is whey protein. Kind of funky, but really good for you, and protein is the most important thing to take when trying to lose weight an/or build muscle. You mix this whey protein with water or milk or whatever. I use either water or soymilk because I can't drink milk anymore. (I'm lactose intolerant) Fine with me though, I don't mind the soy much anymore. Silk soy milk is the best. I recommend everyone try Silk Soy milk! Seriously, just a half gallon, if you hate it you only wasted 3 bucks ok. There is plain soymilk, which I don't recommend as your first half gallon, I only use plain if I'm cooking with it, making shakes, or mixing something in it, like whey protein or something. I would recommended the Soy Very Vanilla or the Chocolate Soy one. Let me know how you guys like it. My kids are on it, they love it, they have milk sensitivities. Once we started them on soy they began to gain weight, they are both very petite small kids that can't gain any weight, so we're happy they have a milk they love that is good for them and fortified with calcium, minerals, and protein. My husband loves it too! It's a plus for everyone. Milk really isn't good for you, makes you bloaty because it sticks to your stomach lining and takes a while to digest. Did you know that humans are the only organisms that drink and consume milk after infancy?! Maybe more people should switch over and see if it makes them feel better. I know since I stopped drinking cow's milk and soda pop it's helped a lot. If I try to drink pop it literally makes my kidneys hurt.
Till next time friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment