diet – Bernadette A. Sahm

Living in Balance
By Bernadette A. Moyer

Healing Crystals Love Chakra Affirmation

From enjoying a hearty slice of chocolate cake to a fierce 500 plus calorie workout, striving for and living in balance is always the challenge. Finding the perfect balance of work and play can at times elude us. I truly believe that peace and love of life are a direct result of our achieving that balance. That perfect balance when we are achieving and contributing and when we are having fun and unwinding.

It is important to have a meaningful existence in our work and within our role in our family and in our community, just as fun and recreation are also necessary for a balanced and meaningful life.

Sometimes we fling from excessive work and being up and on to excessive play where we have freedom and free time. Often anxiety is born in too much time or as my grandmother was famous for sharing “idle time is a devils workshop.”

We have a need and a want, a desire to be needed but we also crave that alone time where we can recharge and retreat. We can give too much and come up empty or we don’t give enough and end up feeling unfulfilled.

It can be like our diet when we overindulge or when we starve ourselves; neither extreme is viewed as healthy. A life of leisure without any responsibilities or commitments can make us feel hollow and empty. Being valued is important.

Identifying all the pieces that are necessary to achieve balance is the first step. We come to the understanding that our social life, our purpose in life, our nutritional life, intellectual life, emotional life and physical life must all be in balance for us to live our best life.

We know better than anyone when our life is out of balance and what the side effects and suffering that come about as a result. Today I strive for balance more than ever. I see that place where grace and gratitude come together to help me in all the pieces of life.

Take stock … are you living in balance? If not what are the side effects? What do you need to do to reach that balance? I truly believe that the single best things we can do to live a long and happy life is maintaining balance in our life. That just right amount of work and play and diet and exercise and filling our soul and our brains with healthy thoughts and prayers helps everyone and anyone achieve a better balanced life!

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Losing Weight Feeling Great (part 1)
By Bernadette A. Sahm

bern pic

Getting Started

Like everything it starts with an idea or a spark of interest. My husband and I are members of our local Y and just before Thanksgiving they were posting notices for the annual Turkey Trot fundraiser. I thought why not? It is something that our family could do together and it would help raise money for children and youth programs at the Y. It was just a 5k and that translates to a 3 mile walk or run.

I have never done anything like this before but my husband and our son were just as eager to join in the efforts to raise money and do something healthy for ourselves. All I wanted was to finish and to do so in under an hour and I did. We also met our fundraising goals with the help of a handful of friends. It was a great way to start the day on Thanksgiving.

Then for Christmas I purchased an activity tracker for both my husband and myself. I was unsure if he could like it or go along but he loved it and we started some friendly competition. Many conversations that started with “did you make your goal?” or “how many steps did you take today?” We were having fun and started to take walks together. We supported each other in achieving our goals.

At this same time we were both going to the Y and he was walking/running on the treadmill while I swam. Together we would enjoy the sauna and it became our routine.

During Lent we gave up meat and Brian lost 5-6 pounds and our son started losing weigh too. I was taking off a pound or two but nothing substantial.

The First 10

My tracker goals were not much in the beginning like around 7,500 steps a day and most days I made the goal. On lazy days I was short. Every time we went to the gym my husband would invite me to come and work out on the treadmill and I always declined until one day I said okay I will try it. He was doing about 30 minutes then. When I joined him I started a brisk walk for 40 minutes each day eventually going to an hour. With me by his side he extended his time too. We were good company and good encouragement and together exceeded our individual goals.

After 3 solid weeks of going every single day, brisk walking on the treadmill for an hour and consuming fewer calories I lost 10 pounds. I was thrilled and liked how my clothing were starting to fit me.

At age 56 I am really working hard at working out and loving it! Up until now I was that person who swam a little, walked a little and rode my bike a little. Nothing all that strenuous.

Today

I started trying on my smaller sized clothes that were a little snug and really liked how I feel in them. When I am pushing myself on the treadmill I remind myself of how much better I look taking off the weight. My tracker goal is now over 11,000 steps a day. This week I had several days that I came in with over 14,000 steps a day and one day when I had over 18,000 steps in a day. I am walking between 5 and 7 miles a day and more than half of it is a fast walk.

Overall I feel great except for all the blisters all over my feet in various places. I have been going through the Band Aids and different sneakers!

With the blood circulating more and more, my skin is glowing without any make-up. I sleep better too. Dietary changes are less food intake, much more water and zero calorie beverages. Except on the weekends when I enjoy some wine. I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything. Nothing like the treadmill to make you acutely aware of how long it takes to burn off that donut or piece of chocolate cake you were certain that you had to have …

The Next Part

In August we celebrate our wedding anniversary and then September is Brian’s birthday and October is mine, I want to take off another 15 pounds. I am determined. I go to the gym once and day and yesterday went twice once alone and in the evening with my husband.

I’m enjoying my workouts and my only weak link is my right foot but I am hobbling through the pain in hopes that this will pass. If not next month I will be seeing a foot doctor. I have tried three different pair of walking and running shoes and don’t think I have found the perfect pair yet. I am having fun though with my workout wear and the high that comes from a really good sweat.

Losing weight the old fashioned way with diet and exercise, I just want to look and feel better and so far I do.

Part 2 when I hit another goal … stay tuned …

Bernadette on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer