22 Days and Change

I know, I know. It's been awhile, but the working world has taken over by storm and I've had little time to keep up with healthy habits let alone blog about them.  After a much needed weekend getaway with some friends, however, I realized it's time to jump back on the train and get motivated. My friends and I spent the weekend in a rather gluttonous fashion, drinking heavily and eating out every meal in a weekend-long birthday celebration.  On Sunday evening, feeling rather sluggish, we though it was high time to get our butts in gear and hop back on the hot-body train, especially with the holidays right around the corner (read: inevitable weight gain with turkey and stuffing and then holiday cookies and candies and parties).  After all, we still have about a month until holiday parties are in full swing, so why not start now instead of waiting for the morning of January 2nd, where you wake up and have an "oh shit" moment about how far you let yourself go over the holidays.


Thus, the 22 day challenge and change was born. Although there is little scientific proof or support, it is commonly believed that it takes 21-28 days to form a new habit or break an old one.  Most rehab programs and "step" programs are 21-28 days in length.  But, the maximum is almost triple that.  According to PSYBLOG's article on habits, things become as much of a habit as they'll ever become for the individual around 66 days. In any event, my friends and I have devoted the next 22 days to making exercise a habit in an effort to get healthy before the new year, so that 2011 starts off on the right foot, with "change" already underway, be it mentally, physically, emotionally, or a combination of the three. 


day one
I weighed myself this morning; one word: yikes.  I had no idea I had already put on so much weight since starting my job.  Sitting in an office all day long *definitely* does not help (and neither do all of the yummy food options around my office).  We decided that this first week will be four days of intense workouts and three days of lighter workouts, like taking a stroll or the stairs throughout the day.  Since I failed at getting out of bed this AM to workout, keep your fingers crossed that I'll find some time this afternoon to give myself a half hour to sweat it out. 

Bon Appetite

My new favorite "go-to" dinner for those last minute, later dinners after a long day: marinate chicken in italian dressing overnight, grill the next day, cook 1 cup of whole wheat pasta, cut up some fresh cherry tomatoes and basil and voila! A delicious dinner :)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Blog Software Test

Hi everyone!

One of my friends told me about Ecto, a blogger software, so I'm giving it a try!

I'll have a real update soon :)

I'm Alive, I Swear

Hi Bestlifers!

I know I've been MIA, and I'm sorry for that! I've been insanely busy since graduating with the job hunt and moving back home. Now that I'm all settled, I'll try to *finally* maintain a regular blog schedule.

Also, I'm using this post to give a test run and blogging on the go, via email and my blackberry, allowing me to post great on the go tips for all of you!

Updates to come soon :)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

New Year's Resolutions

I've never quite understood why we all put ourselves through the torture of coming up with long, unrealistic lists of everything we want to do right this year, molding ourselves into these perfect people. I don't think there is a single year where I can actually say I succeeded in any goal I had set for myself (I mean clearly, I'm still fat--HELLO!) But, as 2009 came to an end, I began to wonder what on earth I would do for 2010 resolutions.

This year, however, I'm not setting myself up for failure. Each of my many goals focus on broad areas I want to fix in my life, similar to the areas discussed here on LMBL--religion, family, health, intellect, etc. Traits or things that will make me the best version of well, me. It is the approach to these goals, however, that are often where we find our downfall.


According to Dr. Pauline Wallin (psychologist), our goals need to be something we really want to achieve, not what we believe society thinks or pressures us into putting for our goals.  She gives the examples of losing weight and quitting smoking as some that people feel compelled to do, but aren't their true hearts desire.

Other experts state that our goals should be attainable, we should hold ourselves accountable, and we should have a strong support system. This helps us all feel like we've accomplished something towards our goals, like taking baby steps.  So, for example, if you want to lose weight (like me) set yourself smaller weekly goals that make up a larger goal. Instead of looking at it like you want to lose 60 lbs. this year, decide that for the month of February you are going to try a new exercise each week, or you're going to drink more water.  These goals are small enough that you can see your progress and make the 60 lbs. closer than before.

One big part of what causes us to break new year's resolutions is the idea that if we mess up one day, everything's out the window. That's just not true! If we slip up a little one day on our goals, just refocus yourself tomorrow. Each day is a start fresh.

My Resolutions

Armed with all of that new knowledge, I made a list of goals for 2010. . .things that I hope over the course of the next 300+ days (we are halfway through february already--yikes!) I will be able to work towards.

1. Renew My Faith– attend church on Sundays, reconciliation monthly, volunteering twice a month, and reaching out to people who I should help more, as well as reflecting on what my religion means
2. Get Healthy– stretching every day, working out at least three times a week, cooking for myself (and finding joy in doing so), drinking more high-quality H20 (particularly before meals), and taking my meds for my PCOS consistently.
3. Adios Negativity–cut out people, places, things, habits that are not good for me and focus on the friends and family who bring joy into my life, practice looking at the glass half full
4. Get Some Money Sense–In the effort to keep learning, I want to understand the market and more economics and business and how everything ties together as well as gain more knowledge about my personal finance and work on a reasonable budget, a savings plan, paying down my self-induced debt, and "sleeping on it" when I'm making decisions about what to buy so I quite impulsively spending $100 on crap from WalMart.
5. Stay Classy–just because I finally got my edumacation, doesn't mean I have to stop learning. I want to keep up reading and attending live concerts, experiencing different things, taking weekend classes, festivals, everything :) and relearning my spanish and starting Chinese! Being cultured and always expanding on your intellectual curiousity can't be a bad thing, right? 

Whew! That seems like a lot, but I'm going to post weekly goals, too, that focus on each of these areas. Remember it's the baby steps. 

What are your resolutions for 2010? Post a comment and share!

How to Make Successful New Year's Resolutions  by eHow
Use Psychology to Make Your 2010 Resolutions Stick by PsychologyToday 
5 Strategies for Successful New Year's Resolutions by that'sfit

I'm Baaaaack

YouTube Life Update for 2010!

Hi best lifers!

Click on the link above, or on the new video of me in the right sidebar for the latest :)

(p.s. anyone know how to get the videos to post directly into this entry? I can't remember how I did it for the single ladies video)

Goodbye, 2009

Hi bestlifers!

I hope all of you had a fabulous holiday. My apologies for the mini-hiatus on posting, but the holidays are a busy time with friends, family, social gatherings, and the like and I haven't had much time to write new entries (I know, you all must be so devastated).

Here's a sneak peek at what is coming in the first few weeks of 2010:

• New Year's Resolutions
• Eating Out and How to Order
• Healthy Breakfasts that Fill You Up
• How to Declutter Your Life
• HRM 120 and Slim in 6
• Spiritual Renewal

and many more! Plus, keep your eye out for YouTube videos on the Living My Best Life 09 channel.

With that, I wish you all a very happy new year and hope that you are celebrating the incoming of 2010 with friends and family. Here are some tips for a happy (and healthy) way to celebrate that you won't pay for terribly the next morning:

1. Try alternating between alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. This helps to keep you hydrated throughout your night of partying!
2. Eat before you go out. This will help with alcohol absorption and will protect your stomach from the loooong night of delicious cocktails.
3. And obviously, never drink and drive! Make prior arrangements with a designated driver, or arrange for a cab. 

See you in 2010 :)

Baby Dancing to Beyonce - ORIGINAL! - www.singlebabies.com - @babycory on Twitter

Because I strongly belief that laughter is a workout for the soul, I wanted to repost one of my favorite videos--the dancing Beyonce Single Ladies baby. This video makes me laugh every times and who can't help but to get up and shake their booty to some Beyonce? :)

Houston, we have lift off!

Announcing LMBL. . . ON YOUTUBE! That's right folks, I made my own channel on YouTube to do some fun updates for a change of pace.  You'll be able to access the videos from the blog (but subscribe to me on YouTube--livingmybestlife09). Check out the "LMBL Videos" in the sidebar on the right. Once you click on the video, scroll back up to the top of the browser window, because that is where the little video box pops up.

Try it out right now. There's an random one of me trying to test it out before one of my classes, so i don't say anything, but it'll give you a feel for how it pops up on the blog.

Enjoy :)

Decking the Halls and Expanding the Waistline

'Tis the season for yummy cookies, delectable pies, and huge, gigantic family meals to celebrate the holidays.  With the smell of pumpkin pie still in the air from Thanksgiving, and Christmas party invites flowing freely via facebook and e-invite, how is a girl supposed to not indulge in the deliciousness of holiday food and heartfelt get-togethers that is fast approaching?

Overeating during the holidays is common. What do you do to celebrate? When you think about it, it probably involves surrounding ourselves with food, loved ones, memories, laughs, and good times.  Here are some tips to help you indulge and enjoy during this season's festivities.

Sit-Down Meal
If your host is planning a huge meal, try to keep these few things in mind:

• eat with your opposite hand (so if you're usually right handed, eat with left and visa versa)
• cut smaller bites so that you eat less at a time
• put your silverware down between bites
• take a sip of your drink between bites
• rest for 15-20 minutes before deciding on seconds because that is how long it takes our stomaches to send our brains the "FULL" signal.

Endless Hors d'oeuvres 
Most holiday parties have endless plates of scrumptious little bite-size treats so mouthwatering that you swear you'll only try one of each (yeah.right.). What's the best way to show some self control and not swallow that entire platter of little kieshes all by your lonesome? 

• keep your hands occupied; if you're holding a drink you'll have less space/coordination to also balance a plate full of food
• eat before attending the party; if you fill up on something healthy at home before coming to the party, you won't feel the need to pig out on everything in sight, leaving more time to socialize and here what all of your loved ones have been up to this past year
• drink water (popular choice); it helps keep you hydrated and full and doesn't have any of those sneaky calories that we often forget about when downing our third glass of eggnog or holiday juice
• don't deprive yourself; you've been good, so if you're eyeing up that delicious chocolate chip cookie, eat one (instead of 5). and eat is sloooowwwwly so that you enjoy it.

If all else fails and you have one too many glasses of punch and enjoy a few extra tiny delights, get your behind on the treadmill the next day for an extra intense workout!

Stay Healthy This Holiday Season (Shoutouts to Xtina for passing this along!)
Oprah's Tips on Staying Fit During the Holiday
Healthy Holiday Recipes from BetterHealthUSA

FoodNetworks Holiday Recipes

Oprah's Favorite Healthy Holiday Recipes

It's All About the Benjamins, Baby

One thing I continually fail at is managing my money.  Being fortunate enough to come from a family who has the ability to be financially supportive, I never conquered following any of the personal budgets I tried to set for myself.  Often times, I'm the one out with friends offering to pick up the tab to avoid awkward situations of who doesn't have enough cash and who's going to pay back whom, etc. I guess the thought of managing money terrifies me; it's so. . ."adult" and "real world". (YIKES).  However, with graduation fast approaching, I need to start securing my future. 

I have this grand notion in my head about moving to New York City, hitting up happy hour with my kappas, lounging at the hottest club, attending broadway shows every weekend...so beautiful. Unfortunately, once I start crunching the numbers, this notion quickly turns into a far-off, very distant dream. Add onto that the fact that I'm already in debt from not watching my spending, and I've really managed to create a recipe for financial disaster.  Based on recent conversations with professors and classmates who are searching for jobs, let's assume the following:

• starting salary for entry level communications: $35,000-45,000 (Pittsburgh)
• if i took that exact entry level position and was working for a company doing the exact same thing, but in New York City, I would make: $43,012.
• average cost of living in new york city: $62,179
• that means I'm already roughly $20,000 under
  

and if that's the case, it wouldn't be long until reality decided to serve me one swift bitch-slap across the face. 

According to Suze Orman, Oprah's financial guru, there are nine simple steps you can take to start ensuring your future financial security.

1. save a little bit at a time
2. have a little self-discipline
3. automate your savings into a Roth IRA or other financial goal
4. max out your company's 401(k) match
5. invest in a Roth IRA
6. Subtract your age from 100 and put that much in stocks; as you get older switch (so 100-23 = 77, meaning 77% stocks, 23% bonds, age 40, have 60% stock, 40% bond, etc)
   
7. buy life insurance to protect your loved ones
8. make sure you have a revocable living trust, a will, and two powers of attorney for finances and healthcare decisions
9. add a 13th mortgage payment/year to pay it off fives years quicker

Although I'm not sure how much the last 3 apply to me at this point in my life, I think the first 6 make perfect sense.   Personally, when starting out, I think it's more important to focus on creating a budget for yourself, creating an emergency fund, and then worry about saving for other future expenses.

For graduation, my mom bought me On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Finance. Now, I've read a lot of "personal finance books" and this was the first one that made the most sense to me.  Very readable and easy to follow, the two authors (both MBA graduates from Harvard Business School) walk you through everything from setting up a budget to investing, to how to break down your paycheck so that you're getting the most out of your money.

Chapter 5 is all about budget basics.  According to these two lovely ladies, you have you inflow, or income (salary and any dividends, cash gifts, etc) and your outflow (gross income - income tax or roughly 25% of total income).

For example, let's go back to the starting salary for an entry level position in communications. We'll low-ball it and go with $30,000.  According to one of the principles in On My Own Two Feet, you should divide your expenses accordingly:

• Starting Salary $30,000
• - 25% for income tax ($7,500)
• - 15% for savings ($4,500)
• - 15% for FUN aka shopping sprees, manicures, tanning, vacations ($4,500)
• and the 45% that's left--or $13,500--should go towards your foundation expenses such as groceries, shelter, routine bills, gas, insurance, and other essentials.

So, $30,000/yearly is roughly $1200 per pay period (every two weeks), or $2400/month, $1,080 of which goes towards ESSENTIALS or foundation expenses.

Sounds doable, right? *right* I'm going to hit up that Sephora sale to get rid of this headache from all that number crunching. . .

Housekeeping

Hello best lifers :)

Some minor things:

1. I hope you like the new look to Living My Best Life (forever to be referred to as LMBL). I was sick of the pink and think this look streamlines the blog better. As you can see, all of the entries are on the left with the lighter background, and there are some facts and tidbits on the right side of the blog. These include daily fitness and diet tips, as well as some daily humor from Ellen DeGeneres, who I love. You'll also find the blog archive here
2. Reader Challenge--Comment on this post with topics you'd like me to cover. I have a ton of ideas, but I want to be writing about things you find interesting.
3. Be sure to check out LMBL's facebook page for new photos, delicious recipes, and discussion topics!
4. Keep your eye out for the first "life" article coming soon

Enjoy the weekend and remember, keep living your best life!

stress + eating = temporary relief

Pizza. Pop. Chocolate. Those are the three things I absolutely crave when I'm stressed out or under a lot of pressure. With mid-terms passed and finals fast approaching, I thought I would investigate what causes me to order that pizza with the pop on the side, while frantically shoving any spare change into the vending machine to give me a few moments of relief. There has to be better stress management than reaching for food.

What is stress?

Stress can be defined as anything that poses a threat to your well-being. Although a little bit of stress or pressure can be a good thing, an overwhelming level of it begins to undermine our mental and physical health, leading to complications on multiple levels. Different situations may cause one person to become stressed over the other, but for the most part, there are several common situations that stress people out:

• family problems
• relationships
• financial issues
• illness
• job situation
• lack of time
• grief

Stress can have physical effects on your body as well. I tend to suffer from chest pain, cramps, headache, muscular aches, sleeping difficulties, nervous twitches, and the "pins and needles" feeling in my hands. Other common effects include a tendency to sweat, back pain, a slow in your sex drive, fainting spells, hypertension, lower immunity towards sickness, nail biting, and heart disease (for chronic stress). It can also make you feel angry, anxious, burnt out, depressed, insecurity, forgetfulness, irritability, sadness, problems concentrating, and restlessness.

Yikes!

So why/how does stress result in cravings?

When you're stressed, your body attempts to overcompensate and tries to "put the brake" on the stress. Experiencing stressful situations causes your body to make more of a hormone called cortisol. Usually, in a fight or flight situation, your body has an automatic shut-off. With chronic stress however, the body continues to put out cortisol. In an attempt to stop the cortisol, your body craves anything extremely pleasurable to get itself out of high-stress mode.

Enter stress eating. According to an article in Psychology Today, The escalating levels of cortisol released in chronic stress usher the excess calories straight to your abdomen, where they get deposited as fat. (ew). By reaching for high-energy foods like sugar, the body seems to be telling the brain 'It's OK, you can relax, you're refueled with high-energy food." However, constantly reaching for food can end up in significant weight gain since we experience some form of stress every day.

Other ways to fight stress (read: NO food)

There are several other ways to relieve stress that don't involve shoving your chubby little face with the whole pizza you just ordered for yourself, or the bucket of fried chicken or the carton full of chinese food. They include

1. exercising (probably one of the best ways!)
2. cut down on caffeine and alcohol consumption (they actually don't help)
3. focus on having a balanced diet
4. be assertive enough to say 'no' if your plate is full
5. delegate responsibilities if possible
6. set aside time for yourself each day (so important! i struggle with this one SO.much)
7. meditate/practice breathing techniques
8. talk it out with family and friends
9. get a massage
10. seek professional help if it starts effecting the way you function

Be sure to check out 2009: Living My Best Life's facebook fan page for pictures and recipes of healthy versions of some of our favorite comfort foods.

For more info, check out the following links:

Medical New Today--What is Stress?

Stress Management Tips from WebMD

Recipe on Oprah.com for 100-calorie EggNogg

Allow Me to (re)Introduce Myself

(Disclaimer: this is a bit long, however, I believe that it's important for you to understand some of my history to understand my reasoning and desperation to lose some serious weight. This is divided into three sections--my health history, present day, and my goals for this blog--so feel free to skip around)

Hello my loves and thank you for reading this blog! I know all of you are very busy bees, so I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate you checking in, commenting, and showing your love and support! I wanted to re-introduce myself and my reasoning for blogging to anyone who is new to 2009: Living My Best Life (thanks Oprah).

I've struggled with weight all my life. I've never been the skinny girl, just the fat girl with the pretty face, the guys-girl, the tomboy, and definitely never the one to cause whiplash to someone passing me on the street. It wasn't until recently, when I was at a doctor's appointment, that I realized how much my poor eating habits had taken a hold of me. Let's go back in time to get the full picture...

A Little Bit of My Health History

The obvious tell-tale sign was my physical appearance. Ballooning at 220 lbs my freshman year of college, I couldn't fit into any of my clothes and avoided going places with friends because of a significant drop in self-confidence. That December in 2004, I went to my dermatologist for my yearly check-in, like any 20-something would if they were still breaking out terribly and embarrassed by it. (I mean, who wouldn't be? Acne is supposed to happen during those years in high school when everything is a big deal and your life is ending every day because the crush of the week was talking to your ex-best friend's friend's younger sister in the hallway, or something as equally juvenile). It was during that examination and after a series of questions, that my dermatologist decided I needed to get blood work and a trip to the gyno for some further testing.

After a few rounds of testing and an ultrasound, my ob-gyn sat me down and pushed a picture much like this one across the table to me:

"Lesley, this is a picture of your ovaries. Do you see those black circles? Those are cysts. They're completely covering your ovaries. You have polycystic ovarian syndrome."

Hmm, so the beast had a name. The good doctor went on to explain many of the side effects--abnormal hair growth on your face (check), obesity (check), insulin problems (check), irregularity (check), and the list continued.

Fast-forward to June 2006. I hadn't done much to change my habits or lifestyle. I was still eating poorly, not working out, and had been suffering extreme abdominal pain. Turns out my gall-bladder was jam packed with gall-stones, two of which were blocking my bile duct, causing me to have jaundice and needing emergency surgery. Even after that surgery, I didn't do much to change. I know, stupid.

It wasn't until an appointment with Dr. Legro from the Hershey Medical Center that I realized I was destroying my insides and would soon experience irreversible damage if I didn't get with it. Dr. Legro is a PCOS-specialist and led his team to the #1 spot in the world of PCOS. After some standard tests, Dr. Legro and his assistant sat down with me to go over my case. Most of it I was tuning out (I know...bad patient), I had heard it before, until...

"wahw wahw wahhhhw, infertility. Do you want to have children in the future, Lesley?"

"excuse, I'm sorry--infertility?"

"Yes. You are far beyond an ideal weight for someone of your height and the longer you stay there, the less chance you have of ever maintaining a body weight that is ideal to conceive."

I mean, I had no intention of having kids for 10+ years, but hadn't stopped to think that the poor decisions I was making today would effect a decision I so greatly wanted for myself in the future.

Back to Today...

Since hearing that little tid-bit of information, I must admit that I haven't been great. Stress, school, family, friends...it all gets in the way. But, I'm close to graduating, stepping out into the real world, and for once, I want to have spent enough time on taking care of myself to be the best, the healthiest, and the happiest person I could possibly be to start a new chapter in my life.

In January, Oprah launched her "best life" series because she too had gained that weight that she had infamously lost seasons before. For the next few weeks, various experts in five major areas that effect one's being were highlighted on the show.

It all kind of clicked then. I could eat like a rabbit, work out until I was purple, and deprive myself until the cows came home; But unless I worked on the deeper issues, the issues that made me run for some comfort food, the issues that were the sources of my stress, the issues that didn't leave me enough time to take 15 minutes of "me-time", I would forever remain (if not continue to inflate) pleasantly (or not so pleasantly) plump.

Moving Forward

It is my goal that this blog does three things:

1. Details the struggles that I face in my personal battle with weight loss in an effort to overcome this personal demon of mine and provide inspiration for others
2. Use articles from Oprah's Best Life series and other articles I stumble upon to address other areas of life that have to be "in-line" to achieve one's own "best life" in baby steps
3. Educate anyone reading this about problems that occur when you're obese that can greatly affect you, such as diabetes, PCOS, heart problems, and the like, especially those that if left alone will negatively impact you

I hope to post three times a week, one post per goal, so check back often, comment, leave suggestions for topics you'd like to see covered, but most of all...learn, enjoy, and start living your best life.

Trouble Commenting?

Some of you have mentioned that you've tried to comment and it's giving you an error message. I just encountered that and tried a few things:

(a) keep clicking post. it eventually goes through or

(b) click preview first and then post. that seems to work without problems.

Hope this helps! Keep the comments coming! And check back tomorrow for a new post.