What's Your Reason?

There is a reason behind everything we do. And there is a choice that precedes every decision we make. And thus is the reason for the decision. Sounds deep. But it's not!

Today was a "rest day" for me in my workout schedule. I did a hard leg workout yesterday and it's typically the day after that that I will take my rest day. So that only leaves 1 (maybe 2) days a week that I'm not in the gym. But today I was reminded again of WHY only taking 1-2 days/week off is max for me.

Remember why I started this blog in the first place? If not, refer here. I have a form of Colitis. I am food intolerant. And I have stomach and mouth problems that drive me crazy most of the time. BUT, I try not to focus on them. I focus on things I can do to alleviate them. 


There are 2 ways for me to do this:

1. Through food (or lack thereof)
2. Through my workouts

My post today is not about food. It's about the working out portion. Working out is my "friend." Literally. It's a 110% positive relationship. I think we all strive for our relationships to be like this! For me, working out = less stomach problems. Working out = a better attitude and frame of mind. Working out = control (over my stomach issues).

I will choose, almost each and every day of my life, to workout - I have decided this. And my reason is because it helps me manage all the random stomach problems I have. Ok....and I'll admit, my other reason is to keep it rockin' my entire life! 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and above - always keep it rockin', healthy and fit!

So tell me, what's YOUR reason?!

Frustrating....not Tragedy

After spending a most amazing weekend in Miami, I am (like clockwork) suffering in my stomach and my mouth.

This gets old. Really old. And really fast.

As I have described numerous times: When I don't eat exactly the way I am supposed to, my mouth and stomach flare up. My mouth feels chronically annoyed and my stomach acts as though I'm 7 months pregnant.

And so the story goes - I take myself out of my usual "element," "let loose" and ENJOY myself only to be taken 14 steps backwards. And it is literally 14 steps backwards, since (like clockwork again) that's how long it takes everything to get out of my system completely.

When I am caught up in the fun, I couldn't care less. But after the fact I always wonder, "WHY?" It's a vicious cycle that I am less than thrilled with.

But today, somewhere between frustration and more frustration, I came to the realization that, while this is so frustrating, it's not tragedy. One could never understand what it's like for me to talk when my mouth is flared up, but this is not a matter of life or death. I deal with this in the same way that people deal with chronic things every single day. And for me, the beauty is that I know how to make mine go away. Most people with chronic conditions could only wish for that. 

We all have our battles. This is mine. 

Frustrating....but not Tragedy.  

Is Food just Fuel for my Vehicle?

I admit. I have been much too lenient these past couple of weeks, post-Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon with my food.

I have basically "gone all out," eating anything and everything I've wanted for 2 weeks (mostly on the weekends). And what has happened because of it? A step back. I've taken a million steps forward just to take these (so unnecessary) steps backwards.

But it has gotten me thinking - "Is Food just Fuel for my Vehicle?" And what it comes down to is "Yes - for me - it IS!" And, "Yes, it's super, duper unfortunate." And the reason it's so unfortunate is because I've allowed myself to get in this awful rut. I eat the same things every single day. And when I do that, I'm OK. Meat, broth, bananas and more meat, broth and bananas.

But a girl can only live like that for so long before the hands fling up in the air and say, "Wait a minute - I'm also trying to have a life!" So, Saturday night, I go out with my husband and friends, we enjoy wine tasting at Ruby Hill Winery, then dinner at Zephyr and we end at 1st Treat Yogurt for some unbelievable frozen yogurt (mixed with slews of "treats")! And never mind the fact that earlier in the day I had a mixed drink, some bread, fries with chipotle ranch and a beautifully-decorated strawberry from Bouquet of Fruits.

And then late Saturday night it started to sink in...."What on EARTH did I just do?" I've been paying ever since. Stomach reverted to blah. And yesterday is when that awful mouth annoyance came back in full effect!

So as I sit here and write this, I am forced to think, to remember, and to contemplate this idea that, for me, "Food is just Fuel for my Vehicle." Keep it pure - and I'll run so smoothly. Fill it with impurities - I shut down.

But there is a positive to all this: THAT CHOICE IS MINE.

Just a Good Week

Day 88.

It's been a really great week. And I have to say that I cannot even say why, as there hasn't been anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes things are just as they should be.

I have been feeling pretty good this week. I had no stomach problems yesterday. I have had no stomach problems today, either. I noticed something with my mouth: it gets annoyed post-solid food. It was annoyed about a level 5/6 after my breakfast and lunch today. It was not annoyed after any of my smoothies. I wonder about that. I will test this theory again tomorrow to see what happens.

And speaking of tomorrow - Happy Friday Eve!

Here was my day:

Breakfast #1 (Pre-workout)

• 1/4 Fruit Fusion
• 1/2 c. Unsweetened Applesauce
  

Breakfast (Post-workout)

• Steel Cut Oats + Unsweetened Rice Milk+ Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder

Snack

• Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder with Unsweetened Rice Milk, Shredded Coconut, Flax, Banana and Stevia
  

Lunch

• (Steamed) Spinach + garlic
  
• 1/2 c. Quinoa mixed with Lean Turkey and ACV

Snack

• Banana/Coconut-Hemp Smoothie
  

Dinner

• 1 c. unsweetened applesauce
• Spinach + Spirulina + Flax + ACV
  
• 1/2 can Tungol no-salt Tuna
  
• 1/4 Fruit Fusion
  

Detox Time

Day 67.

I think I will have to move forward with my all-out detox beginning on Sunday or Monday. Leah wants me to try it, since I'm doing most of it already. But there are a few things that will change. I realized I needed to do this today, when, I got bloated again. I felt a little bloated upon waking. Even though my stomach wasn't very "twisty" or turning and I was able to go to the bathroom one time, I got very bloated. It got bad around 4 or 5pm tonight. I look like I'm pregnant again! I drank a cup of Chocolate Smooth Move Tea, and I also took an Epsom Salt Bath. I'm hoping this helps.

One thing I'm concerned about is Protein. I wonder if I don't digest it properly. I took 4*HCL's with 2 of my meals today. I took all the other supplements as I'm supposed to. I wonder if my system, since it's not fully healed yet, has a really hard time working so hard with the protein? I do eat a lot of protein in the form of fish and lean meat. I don't remember ever being this bloated - if any bloat at all - when I detoxed a few years ago. That detox meant no meat. Leah believes in the term "Flexitarian." I LOVE THAT TERM! It means you can still have meat, but that you eat mostly vegetarian. She said that for my "detox," the only meat I can have is Organic. Basically, what that means to me is.....NO MEAT! Organic meat is so expensive!

If it wasn't for this stomach problem popping back up again, I would say I had an excellent day! My mouth was twitching again - yeah!! I am now even feeling a "pulling" sensation underneath my tongue on the left side. It sounds weird, but I know it's such a good thing. My mouth was about a 0/1 all day. I think a couple of times it was a 1/2. Overall, though, excellent again!

Today I will choose to be happy for the successes, rather than depress over the setbacks! Even if it's just one good thing a day, that's more than it was a few months ago at this time! H.O.P.E.


Here was my day:

Breakfast (Also post-workout - we worked out at 5am today!)

• Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder with Unsweetened Rice Milk, Coconut Milk Light, Flax, and Stevia
• 1/2 Fruit Fusion Bar (Dried Apple and Cranberry)
• 1/2 c. Unsweetened Applesauce
• Coffee + Unsweetened Rice Milk, Coconut Milk Light
• Sweet Apple Chicken Link
  

Snack

• Organic Apple
• Sweet Apple Chicken Link
  

Lunch

• Wild Salmon Burger
• Squash (steamed) + spinach (steamed) + garlic (steamed) + sea salt
• Baby Scallops + Ancient Harvest Pasta
• White Peach
  

Snack

• Baby Scallops + Ancient Harvest Pasta
• Organic Apple
  

Dinner

• Squash (steamed) + spinach (steamed) + garlic (steamed) + sea salt
• Fish oil + Spirulina
• Baby Scallops + Ancient Harvest Pasta
• Wild Salmon Burger
• Unsweetened Applesauce

Alright, bedtime for me. Up at 5am again tomorrow to workout!

Unhappy Day

Day 58.

Just an unpleasant day for me. Just when I thought I was doing so well.

Today was such a frustrating day. There were several instances when I just wanted to cry. It took everything in me not to try and find a punching bag, punch away and cry. I was so bloated and my lower stomach in pain. Nothing has moved through me for a couple of days now. And so I spent an hour tonight doing 25 minutes of cardio and a half hour of abs to see if I could get myself "moving." In addition, I pushed on my lower stomach, jumbled it up. I got home around 7pm and sure enough, I got sick - everything through me. This constant back 'n forth has got me going crazy right about now! Absolutely crazy. My mouth was a level 5/6 today, too. What went wrong? Where did I go wrong?

I went to a Chamber luncheon today. I was so hungry, as it was over the lunch hour. I passed on lunch. The salad, the grilled chicken with a sauce and buttery vegetables. Oh, and the triple-layer chocolate cake, too. Yes, I passed on it all. I drank water.

I think this is why it's been such an unhappy day today. Here I am doing everything I possibly can and then I still have days like this. People looked at me like I was crazy when I didn't eat. Fast forward 4 hours from then and I was unbuttoning my pants because I was so bloated. What gives? Why? Why? Why?

I am being such a downer today - I apologize for this posting. But I guess, we take the good, we take the bad; we take them both and here we have - the facts of life.

Here was my day:

Breakfast

• Steel Cut Oats, Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein Powder with Unsweetened Rice Milk, Coconut Milk Light, Flax, and Stevia
• 1/2 Fruit Fusion Bar (Dried Apple and Cranberry)
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Peets Coffee with Stevia
  

Snack

• Organic Apple

Lunch

• Spinach + Garlic
• Grilled Chicken
• New Scallop Pasta Mix
• 1/2 Fruit Fusion Bar (Dried Apple and Cranberry)
  

Pre-Workout

• Orange
• Wild Salmon Burger
  

Dinner

• Spinach + Garlic + Fish Oil + Spirulina + Flax + Sea Salt
• New Scallop Pasta Mix
• Orange
  

And just to add to this day, I am homesick. Yes, I AM HOMESICK. I have been for a few weeks now; it really caught up with me today. One good cry and I'll move on; I hope. I'll be over it and stronger tomorrow.....with everything.

Twitching Tongue

Day 56.

I am posting from yesterday, since I was offline for the day. I will write more later tonight, but I wanted to share something so absolutely amazing with everyone: Friday and Saturday - All Day - Mouth at a Level 0/1.

I knew I was getting better, when, my tongue started twitching. And again, for all of you out there who find this part of my problem bizarre and freaky, let me explain my mouth - when it's bad and when I know it's reaching normalcy. First, let me just say this - my mouth, in the past 5 years, has NEVER been a level 0/1 for 2 days straight!

When my mouth is bad it feels like this: carpet chronically rubbing against it, scalded and dry. My teeth hurt. Sometimes it's a referred tooth to tongue pain. It never hurts to eat, but always hurts to talk. As it starts getting better the chronic irritation goes down and down, affecting less places of my tongue, roof of mouth and mouth in general. And as it starts getting better it will "twitch" in some places for a split second. Sometimes just one simple movement. Nothing out-of-control. Each time I feel that "pulse" I am absolutely excited.

For about the past week, this is what has been going on. And then it happened on Friday and Saturday - no problems! I could cry right now, just thinking about this monumental step that's been taken. 56 days in - almost at the 2 month mark.

I feel like an "Olympic athlete," in a way (ha, if I only were)! Here I was, practicing and practicing - trial & error - until the main event, which I'm getting a taste of. And so this is what success would feel like?! It makes me want to reach for my own "gold" in this event each and every single day now. We were out at the Eric Church concert all day yesterday. They only had beer, Bacardi Raz and Bacardi Lemonade there. I knew that all 3 had malt in them. I cannot have malt. I almost gave in - just had 1 - but then I remembered my success. Needless to say, no malted beverages for me! And I thank God for that strength yesterday!

More to come later today.....

And CHEERS to my Twitching Tongue!