Sitting Down at the Table

For the past several years I've been keeping a secret hidden within my house.  It's something that I am not proud of.  It's a problem that had a very simple solution, but I just could never get it fixed.  It was one of the tasks that I wrote on my To Do List every weekend but never crossed off.  I would transfer it to the next weekend's list with a promise to myself that I would get it done.  Yet the situation hung over my head weighing me down and reminding me daily of missed opportunities and memories. 

My kitchen table is a disaster!

It's my dumping ground, my junk drawer, my albatross!

 

 

After spending the week with my family on vacation where we ate every single meal together, I was reminded yet again that I am missing out on A LOT by holding our kitchen table hostage with my junk.  Not only was I missing out, but more importantly I was depriving my kids of life lessons, memories and forced vegetable eating.  So this weekend I moved "clear off kitchen table" to the top of the To Do List and I CROSSED IT OFF!

 

We've shared two meals together so far and it has been great.  When we first sat down, my daughter said, "I remember when we used to do this!"  I didn't know whether I should laugh, cry or crawl under the table in complete humiliation. 

 

Eating together as a family is so important.  It's a chance to share experiences, create memories and pass on important life lessons.  Cell phones are set aside and real conversation happens.  I'm looking forward to the opportunities I will have to help my kids try new foods and encourage them to eat more of the healthy ones.  I've already noticed two things:

1) There was less food being scraped from the plates into the garbage can.

2) No one snacked after dinner.

 

As I strive to help my family be healthy and happy, I think this may be one of the best things I've done.  Who knows why it took me so long to accomplish it.  That's neither here nor there.  The table is cleared off, my little secret is out in the open and my family will be sitting down at the table for dinner tonight and for many nights to come.  Today is a good day.



 

Dancing in front of the Mirror

A couple of years ago someone shared this image on facebook.  I laughed because the image itself is absolutely hysterical, but also because it is so true!  When I am at my Zumba class, the inner me is shimmy-ing and thrustin' and shakin' and bustin' quite a fantastic move on that dance floor.  My dream as a young girl was to be a Solid Gold Dancer shaking my tush in those metallic gold costumes.  This was my moment to dig that dream from the depths of my brain and live it out on the dance floor of Firehall #6.  In reality I'm sure Cat (my most incredible instructor) is seeing quite a frightful scene when she scans the room in my direction.  But that's ok because I can't see the true me in that moment and I know that everyone around me is so focused on Cat or their own moves that they don't notice me flailing around.

Until I showed up at Cat's Saturday morning class in a room where half the walls are covered in . . . MIRRORS!  WHAT?!?!?

For the first couple of classes I tried my best to stare at the floor or the ceiling and not let my eyes catch even the quickest glance at the freakish woman jumping wildly to the beat of the music.  But after a few weeks, curiosity got the best of me and I couldn't help but stare at this woman trying her best to match the rhythmic moves of the instructor.  I was truly shocked at the fact that the hips and pelvis I truly believed were shimmy-ing and thrustin' and shakin' and bustin' some kind of move were in reality hardly moving.  No wonder whenever Cat told us that our core should be burning that I was feeling nothing.  I assumed that my core was buried so deep under fat that I just couldn't feel anything.  Boy, was I wrong!

I began to study Cat a little closer and look at my own body (Yes, I practiced in front of the mirror at home!).  If I spread my feet a little wider, bent my knees a little more, tightened up that dreaded core and stopped worrying about what my arms were doing in that moment I managed to get a lot more action going on down there below my belly button!  Then guess what happened?  I felt the burn!  My core burned.  Whoop!  Whoop!

I learned several things from this revelation:
1) It is important to spend some time studying the structure of a move (in Zumba or any form of exercise) in order to gain the maximum effect.  This could take just seconds as Cat is teaching us a new routine or require a little extra practice at home.
2) There is a core buried deep within me.
3) I'm glad that I finally took a look at myself dancing in front of the mirror.

That's me in the grey t-shirt bustin' a Zumba move!!
Photo credit - SkyBird Photography

My BFF Amy (right) and I with our most incredible Zumba Instructor Cat.

Split the Sandwich?!?

PNC Park  May 2015

It had been an emotional day in the midst of a stressful week.  There was a lot going on at work and home.  I was looking forward to a relaxing fun girls' night out with my BFF Amy.

By the time we arrived at Rivertowne inside PNC Park I was famished!  I was soaking in their delicious menu debating between a big juicy burger or mouth watering bbq pulled pork over pierogies when Amy knocked me over with a question . . .

"Want to split a sandwich?"

What?!  SPLIT a sandwich?  Are you CRAZY?!  No, I don't want to split a sandwich.  I want to devour every single morsel of stress-reducing goodness on this menu!!  Why in the world would I want to eat half of a sandwich?  I love you, but you have lost your mind.  I am over-the-top stressed out and when I am this stressed out I eat.  I eat and eat and eat and eat.  So leave me alone and go split a sandwich with someone else.

OK.  So, I didn't really say any of those words out loud.  Instead I smiled and said, "Sure!  Which one should we get?"

Amy and I enjoyed an incredible shared meal of Pub Pretzels, the Fish Sandwich with Pub Fries and each had an amazing glass of Hala Kahiki Pineapple Beer. We also shared two hours of fantastic conversation.  By the end of the meal I felt very content - both in my stomach and my heart!  I didn't need heavy food to ease my heavy heart -- I needed time with my BFF.  Delicious food was simply a bonus.

As Amy and I sat there, I thought back to the "old" Amy and Lisa dinners.  We'd share an appetizer, each get a full meal, each get dessert and talk for hours while drinking glass of pop after glass of pop.  In 2010 we both began to make changes in our lives to live healthier.  While we still enjoy chatting over a meal, our menu selections have changed.  We have come a long way in these five years!!

                

                   Amy and Lisa circa 2009

Amy and I with our awesome Zumba instructor Cat
April 2015

Three lessons can be gained from Amy and my Girls' Night Out:
1) Sharing your health journey with a friend makes the journey a lot of fun.
2) Dealing with your stress by talking about it is much healthier than dealing with it by eating.
3) Splitting the sandwich is a good idea.

Thanks Amy.  I love you!

WHAM-O!

WHAM-O.  Two paddles and a ball.  I have great memories of playing hours of paddle ball the summer my church youth group went to Martha's Vineyard for two weeks to teach VBS on the beach (Yes, we were truly suffering for the Lord!).  When I saw this set at the store, I couldn't pass it up.  I hoped I had found the key to getting my kids off the couch and outside this Spring.

It turns out . . . this could be the best $5 I ever spent!

WHAM-O is an easy game to play.  Success comes quickly - we hit it back and forth four times.  Next time we make it for six.  Victory!

WHAM-O brings a light - though at times quite intense! - sense of competition - which pairing of family members can get a higher score?

WHAM-O creates funny memories.  Remember how JJ smacked himself in the face last time we played?  Mom, remember when you ran into the tree?  Ellie, what was that noise you made diving for the ball?

I often say that the hardest part of exercising is making the move to get off the couch.  The promise of easy, good old-fashioned competitive WHAM-O fun sparks that desire.  I think that it makes it easier for my kids to say yes when I ask them to play because they know it is going to be a good time.

Now here is the BEST part - I've discovered that the request for a couple games of WHAM-O leads to more outdoor activities - Let's shoot some hoops!  Mom, do you know where the Frisbee is?  Do you remember that summer we played four-square almost every night?  Instead of my kids losing interest after awhile and heading back inside, they are wanting to stay outside and play longer!  A totally unexpected twist to my WHAM-O plan.

A twist that I am embracing.  And enjoying every moment of it!!

The record currently stands at 72!

So Happy I Pushed Myself to Run and not Sit Out!

Excitement.  Guilt.  Fear. Anticipation.  Indecision.  Anger.  Hopefulness. 

These are all of the emotions I was feeling as I got out of my car this past Saturday at the Forbes Road CTC 5K, an event my sister organized to raise funds for the school's scholarship program.  I had been one of the first to sign-up when registration opened several months ago.  And then the sinus infection happened.  The longest and most annoying illness of my entire life.  It would not go away and I was sidelined for over a month. 

Now here I was at the first 5K since I had finally recovered.  Should I run?  Walk?  Cheer from the sidelines?

I was excited to be there and feeling good.  Yet I was angry at myself that I hadn't pushed through the fatigue and exercised more over the past few weeks even though my head knew that I had done the right thing.  If I sat out, what kind of example would that be for my kids?  There was the fear of being embarrassed in front of my fellow runners if I couldn't finish and had to call my brother-in-law to pick me up at Mile 2.  I was also hopeful that the excitement of this event would be the motivation I needed to get back on track!

Standing at the Starting Line I still hadn't made of my mind of how I would handle the next 3.1 miles.  As I stood there I was reminded of advice my mom had give me when I was training for my first 5k and had been ready to give up.  She reminded me to not worry about what other people around me were doing or saying.  To not worry about the way I felt I "should" be running and do what works best for me. 

In that moment I decided that I would start off with my normal 2/1 interval.  However instead of running for 2 minutes and walking for 1 minute, I would run for 1 minute and walk for 2 minutes.  If that turned out to be too much, I would drop down to pure walking. 

My sister yelled "START" into the Megaphone and I took off (I know that gives the image of me sprinting from the starting line.  It was more of a slow gallop.)  1 minute run . . . 2 minutes walk . . . 1 minute run . . . 2 minutes walk . . .

The Finish Line showed up much quicker that I anticipated.  I maintained my pace the entire race and I felt FABULOUS!  Not one single time did I want to quit or question my decision to run/walk the event.  My body felt great, my spirits were high and I felt such pride in myself.  I did it!!

My son JJ and I at the Finish Line

If I had opted to walk, I would have been happy with myself for finishing but not felt the exhilarating high of having pushed myself.  If I had opted to sit out, I would have missed the joy all together and been kicking myself for not participating.

 

I am SO happy that I made the choice to participate!  What a huge reminder for me to push myself and go for it.  Five years ago I made the decision that I don't sit on the sidelines anymore.   I want to experience life and not always be the one cheering on others.  I encourage you to not sit on the sidelines - get up and join the FUN!!  That choice will change your life! 

 

(NOTE: Medically I am all better and was cleared by my doctor to return to my normal exercise routines.)

 

JJ and his friend Blake volunteered at the event.

More pics from this fun event:

 

My awesome sister and Race Director Meg (in green)

Beauties Ellie and Katie



One of the many selfies Ellie took during the morning.

A Bad Food Day . . . on Purpose!

Yesterday I had two important events take place.  In the morning I had a rather stressful meeting for work which actually created a great bonding experience with several of my co-workers.  That evening my husband and I celebrated 23 years since our first date during our freshmen year at Ashland University. 

As is common in today's world, both events involved food.  At first, I was a little stressed out by this.  I don't eat out too often, let alone twice in one day.  For me there is so much temptation when eating out.  The more I thought about it I realized that everything was going to be ok because I was THINKING about it! 

I didn't go into these two meals a mindless madwoman shoving every morsel of food in my mouth.  Did I make the 100% healthiest choices available to me?  No.  But because I purposefully gave my choices some thought, I didn't make the worst choice. 

We had lunch at Primanti Brothers - a Pittsburgh Classic!  You can't say no to a Primanti's sandwich piled high with coleslaw and french fries.  I ate the whole thing which was delicious, but I got water instead of pop.  Two PURPOSEFUL choices.  A big choice for me at Primanti's was that I tried a new sandwich.  I have always gotten the same sandwich at Primanti's.  My WHOLE life I've gotten the same sandwich.  As I attempt to be more open to new adventures, going with fish instead of the Pittsburger was a big move (May sound like no big deal to some, but I think it is important to grab onto even the smallest opportunities for excitement!). 

 

Following lunch, we hit up another Pittsburgh Classic - prantl's bakery.  YUMMY!  I treated myself to one cookie.  ONE.  My plan was to eat half and then give the other half to my son, but I have to confess that when I handed him the bag later in the day there was only about 1/8 of the cookie left.  Oooops!  Not much thought into that one, but at least I savored small bites throughout the day and didn't scarf it down in three huge bites.  Every bite was SO good!

Finally dinner.  My husband and I had both been craving Chinese food so a trip to Azan Wok in Plum was our choice.  We saw and discussed several "healthy" options on the menu, but we went with our favorites - Sweet-n-Sour Chicken with Pork Fried Rice and an egg roll on the side.  Mmmmm!  I may not have chosen the healthiest menu item, but I did choose to stop eating when I was full rather than stuffing myself because it tasted so good. 



  

 

The best parts about this Bad Food Day were that I had a great time with my friends and husband AND I did not feel sick at the end of the day.  I had a great time because I chose to not focus on the food - I focused on those I was with.  I didn't feel sick because even though I didn't make the healthiest food choices, I gave each choice thought and didn't stuff myself.  My Bad Food Day turned out to be a GREAT day!



show some love to YOU

 

Today is the day that we celebrate those we love and those who love us.  I encourage you to take a moment and think about a very important person in your life that you need to celebrate and show love to . . . YOU! 

 

So often we express our dreams for ourselves through that quiet inner voice or through statements that we repeat over and over again so often that everyone around us rolls their eyes because they are sick of hearing it . . .

I wish I was healthier.

     I wish I was thinner.

          I wish I felt better.

               I wish I had a different job.

                    I wish I had a nicer house.

                        I wish . . .

                             I wish . . .

                                  I wish . . .

 

Wishes can come true!  Dreams can turn into reality!  Stop just thinking or saying it and do something about it.

 

We have the ability to make them happen.  We simply need to take ACTION!  We need to make the decision to take the first step.  Get off the couch and take that first walk around the block.  Pass up the chips and grab an apple.  Pack your lunch instead of buying and set aside that $10 towards that new couch you've had your eye on.  Sign-up for that class you've been needing to take toward your degree.  Love yourself . . . trust yourself enough to do it!  That first small step will lead to the next small step which will lead to the next small step which will lead to the realization of your dream before you know it.

 

Stop dreaming and take action TODAY - after you indulge in an amazing piece of chocolate, of course!