Strike a pose

I strive to have this form one day:)

Today was my first gentle yoga class.  I thought that the hour flew by.  I surprised myself because when I attempted to do yoga on my own, I found that I could barely do any poses. Forget about holding them.  The instructor was good and I found her voice to be soothing, in a very non-annoying way.  This is a good thing because I get put off so easily by stupid stuff, like voices...or laughter (ie: the nervous kind).  You know, stuff that people have absolutely no control over!

I think that yoga will help me with my running.  I need more flexibility and to become more aware of my breathing.  My premonition did not come true.  I pictured me and Enz in a class with 10 seniors in different stages of immobility.  Truth be told, that would have been amusing and maybe I was just a little disappointed there was not one senior there.  We weren't even the youngest ones there!  There were women of all shapes, sizes, ages and skill level there.  I'm definitely looking forward to going back.

Last night I ran...in the snow, sleet and rain.  Talk about dedication!  We did 3 and 1's and ran/walked for a total of 3k.  I was soooooo relieved I could run for 3minutes straight and not fall over.  I actually did pretty good, if I do say so myself.  I kept right up with Beverly who had recently broken her tail bone.  In my defense, she's a pretty fast runner.  But on the downside...she broke her tailbone less than a week ago.  Hey, I say that slow and steady wins the race!  I'm a hare, but I'll get faster as I drop more weight.

I found this recipe that I'm gonna be trying out.  I need to purchase a whole chicken on my shopping trip tomorrow.  If you have a few minutes, check out this guy's website.  He's developed Paleo recipes, but I find that several of them can be easily altered to become either phase 1 or 2 Dr. Poon approved.  I'm still mostly on phase 1, so I'll not be returning the chicken to the crock pot after it's been shredded.  I'll likely just serve it with a phase 1 friendly vegetable and use the leftovers for salads.  I think it will still be VERY flavourful.  I'll get back to you after I make it.

To briefly revisit my last post where I talked about "why now".  I had the dream again.  The dream first happened last summer.  I dreamt that I was in good physical shape and I could feel my muscle and bones without the barrier of any excess fat.  It was this dream that also triggered my desire to get in shape.  I felt so good in the dream and it felt so real, that I definitely wanted to strive for that feeling again. I had the dream several times and had it again this past week.  I'm not a particularly spiritual or religious person, but maybe it was a premonition.  Only time will tell.  I'm currently not "fit" like I am in the dream, but that is what I aspire for.  To be fit, flexible and able to run 5k.

Nothing is so infectious as example - Francois De La Rochefoucauld

This dude is Francois De La Rochefoucauld.  He was a French writer (1613-1680).  He wrote some really bitching stuff, but the best thing he wrote that I have read, was the title to this blog entry.  He had quite the life.  Lots of women, wars and partying.  His life was one of interest.   He was wounded badly in a battle around 1650 (only to recover), and shot in the head several years later.  The shot in the head didn't kill him, but gout did.  He died of gout almost thirty years later due to obesity.  Well, if this story doesn't keep me motivated, I don't know what will!

I spent and interesting day in Barrie today.  First I went to my satellite office, (the Starbucks in the Chapters on Mapleview Drive) to catch up on some paperwork.  I actually don't frequent that Starbucks much anymore because I was propositioned by a married business man last June at that location.  And lo and behold, who did I happen upon but the same married business man.  This time he was wearing his wedding ring.  I ignored him and he shot me dirty looks.  A little uncomfortable, but I wasn't about to leave and make him think that he had the upper hand.  I could have outlasted him except I had to go and pick my client up from school...so I had to leave.

I work with underprivileged youth.  I really love my job because I love working with young people.  I am also the first to admit that I am far from cool and can easily embarrass said youth.  Although my clients may not see me as bad ass, they do have a lot of respect for me.  That is the most important thing for me and an honour I don't take lightly.  When I started my life-style change, I decided that I was going to be upfront with my clients and tell them what I was doing right from the get go.  It's amazing how incredibly supportive they have been.

The young man I see in Barrie needs help with grocery shopping and meal preparation.  He told me today that he gets worried for me when I come to see him because he's afraid that since I have to shop and cook with him, I may be tempted to eat something I shouldn't.  That was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.  I assured him I was strong like bull and we were able to move on.

This really made me think on my drive home.  I realized that not only do my friends, family, co-workers and blog readers encourage me, but so do my clients that I see regularly.  One of my female youth told me that she looks forward to seeing me every two weeks because she's excited to see how much I have changed in the time we have been apart.  This is very humbling and is definitely added motivation for me to continue doing well.  I am a role model to these youth and I do my best to ensure that they have a secure future.  Not only financially and emotionally, but now I want to ensure that they live the healthiest lifestyle they can.  Although I don't preach my lifestyle, I can certainly lead by example.  That's really important when you have youngsters who look up to you:)