tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2009:/zulema/15 2008-01-16T03:54:26Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2008:/zulema//15.1017 2008-01-16T03:14:20Z 2008-01-16T03:54:26Z

It's another new year. I know it's a new year because every commercial break reminds me to go to the gym, start a new diet, keep resolutions and be a “new me in the new year”. I’ve been a new...

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema HERE I AM: EATING IN MODERATION! NEW YEAR'S EVE DINNER WITH MY FRIEND EDNA AND MY BOYFRIEND SERGIO.]]> The holidays were good to me. To be more accurate, I was good during the holiday season. I kept a steady weight throughout the holiday season and I’m still there. I'm certain I'll never go back to my maximum weight of 200+ pounds but I also know that I need to lose a lot more to be where I desire. So, all this talk about starting diets, new resolutions, and being “new” is making me feel like I’m not pushing myself as much as I should. This week I was reading a magazine and in it there was an article about how there’s no better time of the year than January to get back to the gym. “After New Year’s, everyone is gung-ho,” says a trainer in the article. “There’s so much great energy, it will be contagious. You can feed on it,” he said. Maybe that’s what my restless “new me” needs. I just want to keep the “new me” I found with CTM alive and kicking (and running, and spinning, and yoga-ing [is that even a word?]). Like I said, I’ve been a “new me” for a while now. This year, I’m actually starting the year as the “new me”. This fact will surely make 2008 a year full of activity and great food. Happy New Year and may you find the “new you” this year. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.978 2007-08-19T22:56:40Z 2007-08-19T22:57:58Z

Summer is a time for me to put my life on hold. I use this season as an excuse to stop living my regular life and just turn into a vegetable. This year I was not a vegetable all summer...

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> Even with my new state of mind, I still found ways to avoid moving. It’s just hard to kick bad habits. I could have gone every single day to the gym but I didn’t. I could have gone out to parks, museums, or stores to walk and get some sun and fresh air. Instead I chose to stay home, sleep, watch TV, surf the internet, and eat when I was feeling bored. A few weeks of doing mindless things were enough for me to realize that this had to stop NOW. I just couldn’t let myself fall back into old habits, not after coming this far. That decision is what kept me from gaining my usual 10+ pounds that I gain every summer. To keep my mind busy and my body moving, I tried many different things to keep me away from falling back into old habits. When I felt boredom setting in, I put on some shorts and I swam in my swimming pool. I visited different gyms and tried new machines occasionally. At home, I dusted, vacuumed, cleaned, scrubbed, washed….when I got the urge to sit and surf the web for hours. I ate light dinners so that early morning hunger would force me out of bed. No excuse kept me in bed after 10 a.m. Just thinking about a papaya, mango, or strawberry smoothie made me get up early and eat breakfast. I also visited grocery stores and tried different recipes each week. I went to bookstores, libraries, malls, and dollar stores when the Texas heat was too much for me to be outside. I did whatever I could think of to get myself out of the house. I kept my mind busy so that summer boredom and old habits would not creep back into my life. Classes start next week. I have one more weekend to say good-bye to my summer vegetable state of mind. This summer I proved to myself that summer is not a time to sit and do nothing. Summer is a time to find new ways of entertaining my mind, enriching my life, and healing my body. I can’t wait what summer 2008 will be like. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.942 2007-07-17T18:56:08Z 2007-07-17T19:41:36Z

Yey! I am finally in my new home and hooked up to the internet. Next week I will rent a truck to bring in the last of my furniture. In the meantime, I have been getting my home and myself...

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> Hara hachi bu. Hara hachi bu means “Eat until 80% full” (literally, stomach 80%). This is excellent advice and it is something I have been trying to apply every time I sit down to eat. Read more about this at http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2007/06/one-secret-to-a.html. Finally, I have been finding creative ways to burn calories here and there. I found a great site that shows 50 ways to burn 50 calories. I started doing some of them to get my home ready. Things like vacuuming for 18 minutes, rearranging the living room furniture for 7 minutes, walking around the neighborhood to see what the neighbor’s yards look like for 10 minutes, and preparing and cooking dinner for 20 minutes all burn about 50 calories. Read the rest of the ideas at http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100165121. My summer vacation ends in 4 weeks and then I'm back to my daily routine. In the meantime, I’ll be trying out new ways to burn calories. ]]> tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.915 2007-06-08T22:13:24Z 2007-06-08T22:14:28Z

Working summers helps me keep a routine. Routines are great for people like me. When there is a change in my routine, I will sleep all day. I will wake up after 12, be lazy the rest of the day,...

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> My classic, no-work summer routine includes waking up past noon, showering (or not) and heading to the kitchen to prepare the day’s meals. When I was a teen, this usually involved potato chips and hot sauce, soda, chocolate, cookies, doughnuts, and other such goodies. Of course, that is not all I would do as a teen. I would also watch television and read books and magazines all day and fight with my younger brother. That’s about as fun as my summer days were. Now, in my late 20s I still wake up late (around 10 a.m.). I still shower late but I don’t eat junk food. I eat cereal and I prepare myself egg omelets or smoothies for lunch. Sadly, I have replaced the television and books with the internet and I still don’t know how to swim. How will I change my no-work summer routine so that I will not hate this sunny season anymore? I thought of a few options. I searched the internet for volunteer opportunities and found a few. I’m visiting the gym at different times to add variety to my week. This, unfortunately, affects my meetings with my workout buddy and takes away the motivation I had in meeting someone at the gym. I am also busy packing and moving into my new home. I will be painting walls, remodeling a bit, and decorating. I will even do something I wanted to do for a long time; lounge in a pool under the hot summer sun. I will practice swimming and I might even be daring and buy a swimsuit… tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.903 2007-05-30T02:30:49Z 2007-07-12T14:47:36Z

Twelve weeks ago I had no idea what success would mean. I imagined myself losing two pounds a week, sweating like crazy everyday, and getting everyone around me interested in this movement to live a healthy life. Did I fail?...

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> The past 12 weeks were not what I expected. I expected everything to be a breeze. I mean, I had a national program behind me, a group of women cheering me on, and a commitment to the American Heart Association. I couldn’t fail. I had all the tools to keep me motivated. I bought a gym membership, I chose healthier ways of cooking and eating, and I told many people about my commitment to be healthier. All these steps were what I thought I needed to succeed. However, twelves weeks ago I had no idea what success would mean. In the beginning, I thought I did fail. I thought that because I didn’t end up losing 24 pounds or getting everyone around me interested, that I had miserably failed the American Heart Association, the challenge, and myself. I faced resistance from family and friends and I often felt like I was exaggerating. I didn’t want people to call me a health nut, vain, or anything like that. I did my thing quietly. I guess that’s why I didn’t have a dramatic outcome. I know I could have lost a lot more weight. This time, unlike other times, I’m not mad at myself for not reaching dramatic results. I’m happy with the outcome and with myself. I did things slowly, quietly, and kept it low-key. Because of this, the past 12 weeks were a time for me to train, to rethink what losing weight and exercising is all about. Living healthy is not about the dramatic results I see on television and magazines: (“I LOST 100 pounds in 5 weeks and 10 inches off my waist!”). Living healthy is about making DAILY choices and moving forward 10,000 steps a day. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.902 2007-05-30T01:10:13Z 2007-07-12T14:47:51Z

I’m choosy with dessert because I know I only get a little and I savor it slowly. It’s all about tasting the food, not gulping it down....

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> It’s inevitable. I will eat out sometimes. When there is a celebration, when I’m in a hurry and forgot to pack a lunch… but I’ve learned there are options. Most places now offer healthier options. Many other places provide nutritional information so that if I can’t choose anything healthy, I can at least choose something without so many calories. I can choose a salad and ask for the dressing on the side, and dip occasionally. I don’t have to finish it all. What about those buffet places where I can eat all-I-can-eat? Well, who says I have to eat-all-I-can-eat? I know it’s hard to say no to that extra spoon of creamy banana pudding or the salty French fries. I still go with my boyfriend and his brother to buffets but now I head straight for the salad bar and fill up on yummy veggies and fruits. I also think twice about getting up for seconds (or thirds). I still get dessert but I don’t get a plate full of everything anymore. I’m choosy with dessert because I know I only get a little and I savor it slowly. It’s all about tasting the food, not gulping it down. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.901 2007-05-29T20:10:52Z 2007-05-29T20:12:08Z

I stumbled a few times (more than I wanted to) but I never fell off and gave up completely on myself....

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> I’m happy with the goals I set for myself. In the past I would set ridiculous goals. I promised myself that I would lose 50 pounds before summer, that I would not eat any bread and tortillas, or that I would not touch any candy and that I would visit the gym EVERY day for at least an hour. These were very difficult goals for me to keep. Easy for some, but difficult for me. I’m happy that this time around I didn’t set too many unreachable goals. Instead I just let everything move along without expecting incredible outcomes. In the end I saw that by not setting too many goals all at once, and expeting miracles, I was able to lose weight. More importantly, I was able to stay the course. I stumbled a few times but I never fell off and gave up completely on myself. In the past I would have lost faith in myslef and wallowed in sadness and defeat, comforting myself with a lot of chocolate and a bag of potato chips. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.881 2007-05-21T05:08:38Z 2007-05-25T17:02:16Z

In a moment of weakness, I drove to a fast food place and ordered a burger, fries, and a lemon pie. The fries and burger were satisfying. I felt so guilty eating the pie. What a week!...

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I’m writing about my journey toward a healthy lifestyle. I’m writing this and eating some left over hot Munchies I found in the kitchen. It’s a small ziplock bag, I keep telling myself. I won’t eat them all. I don’t eat them all. After a few chips, I start feeling sick and walk to the kitchen to get water and throw the leftover chips in the trash. My boyfriend is taking a nap, he’s got a cold. His brother is also napping in the living room. I could turn on one of my workout videos and get a 30-minute workout but they’re both napping. So I’m stuck, bored, and trapped. I walk to the kitchen to throw the bag of Doritos. I fill a huge glass with cold water and start drinking. Yum. I walk to the restroom and then walk back to the living room. On my way to the computer I accidentally wake my boyfriend up with my monster footsteps. You know what he says? Can you stop walking around? Wow….These are my triggers. When I feel pressured to do things I don’t want to do, when I feel hurt, sad, mad, or stressed I eat. I admit it, I’m rebellious, hard headed and even bratty when I’m in a bad mood. That’s not good for someone that eats when she feels pressured, stressed, or moody. Lately I’ve been eating like a pig for several reasons. I’m about to close on a home this week. My real estate agent has been calling me for this and that and putting me on edge. The school year is about to end and I’ve been inputting grades, filing folders, updating student profiles, and doing a number of very boring tasks that have pushed me to eat in very unhealthy ways. This month I went to Subway a number of times and ordered salads from McDonalds. But this week I wanted something quick, warm and meaty for lunch. In a moment of weakness, I drove to a fast food place and ordered a burger, fries, and a lemon pie. The fries and burger were satisfying. I felt so guilty eating the pie. What a week! Ok, I’m going out to get the mail and get some fresh air. I feel like telling my boyfriend, NO!! I won’t stop walking around. If I can’t walk around indoors, I’ll do it elsewhere. I don’t have to tell him anything. I think my actions speak louder than words. See you later, dude! tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.853 2007-05-13T01:02:19Z 2007-05-30T01:18:16Z

Thanks to having someone with me at the gym, I was able to do something I wanted to do for a while....

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> I found a new workout friend! We worked out four times this week. We met through a website called exercisefriends.com. We are both determined to get healthy. Thanks to having someone with me at the gym, I was able to do something I wanted to do for a while. I was always hesitant to go to the weights section of the gym. It was mostly men and some very fit women working in that section. Anyone with a body like mine was accompanied by a personal trainer most of the time. I didn’t have the courage to go near the weights all by myself but I really had the desire. This week I was finally able to walk over there without feeling awkward. My work out buddy knows how to work the most of the machines. She used to box and is familiar with many of them. I’m just happy to have someone nice to talk to and share my day with at the gym. There were two or three days this week when I just didn’t feel like going. It so true what people say. Knowing that someone is counting on me to go is what made me show up. I felt so good to show up and have someone nice be there, supporting me and cheering me on. I also felt good that I was also showing up to help someone who was shooting for the same goals I was. It helps that we have things in common. That makes it less of a boring activity and more like a fun meeting with a friend. What girl doesn’t like to socialize? It’s going to be great! tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.845 2007-05-07T01:06:58Z 2007-07-17T19:48:42Z

Surfing the world wide web can be a time killer, time consuming, and even addictive, but when you have a purpose, you can find so many things that exist within your community....

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> I use the Internet for so many things. It’s really a great way to find things quickly and easily. I was so excited when I found a web site called exercisefriends.com. I posted my profile to join me in my quest to live a healthier life. Not having too many friends, and having a boyfried that's not at the point where I am, makes it hard to stay motivated. So I have to look for motivation within. Even that gets tought when all I see around me is temptation. So I thought it would be good to fight the good fight in good company. I posted my profile on exercisefriends.com and it turns out that a few days after I posted my profile, a woman with similar goals replied to my post. We have similar interests and I couldn’t be more excited to finally have an exercise buddy. This week I learned that if you really want something bad enough, you just have to keep looking until you find it (or, in some cases, until it finds you). We will meet tomorrow and every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We are both members of the same gym so we will meet there for the first time tomorrow. I’m so happy to know that I have not wasted my time sitting in front of the computer. Surfing the web can be a time killer but when you have a purpose, you can find so many things that exist within your community. The key is knowing how to search and making it a point to search for what you need. There's a whole world of resources waiting to be found in the world wide web. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.827 2007-04-29T23:04:36Z 2007-07-17T19:46:07Z

My frustration is not limited to the weekends anymore. Sometimes I eat out instead of taking my own lunch to work. I get so frustrated that there are so many fast food places around my school. With only a 30-minute...

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema My frustration is not limited to the weekends anymore. Sometimes I eat out instead of taking my own lunch to work. I get so frustrated that there are so many fast food places around my school. With only a 30-minute lunch break, I have no choice but to eat at fast food places. I wish I had the luxury of sitting down and ordering a healthier option at a non-fast food restaurant. Weekends are the worse. I don’t understand why because this is when I have the most time to prepare great meals. On weekends I don’t have the pressure of having to prepare dinner, get some school work done, work out, take a shower, and get some rest, before going to bed. So why is it so hard to eat right? Ever since I can remember, weekends were a fun time. My mother would pick me up from school and we would head to the dollar store and buy something. Afterward we would go to Burger King, Dairy Queen, Mc Donald’s, or any of many buffets. Every weekend we would eat out, except when we were short on money. Then we would visit my grandma’s and eat something there. Even now, as I write this, I feel cranky, like I’m in a bad mood because it’s Sunday and I’m stuck at home. I went to the flea market and I was out, walking around and hoping we would go and eat out after the flea market. We came back home. I hate being stuck inside. I love going out on weekends and eating out, even if it's just to drink some coffee, tea, as long as I'm out and about. Anywhere. Unfortunately, when my boyfriend and I eat out, it usually means we go to a buffet, a Mexican food restaurant, or some other place where there a few low calorie options. It’s become a love/hate situation for me. I love interacting, talking, and just sitting with my boyfriend in any restaurant. I like the different atmosphere, being surrounded by other people, and being served. I hate that we both choose restaurants that don’t have many healthy choices. I hate that I don't know how to look for better options. My frustration is not limited to the weekends anymore. Sometimes I eat out instead of taking my own lunch to work. I get so frustrated that there are so many fast food places around my school. With only a 30-minute lunch break, I have no choice but to eat at fast food places. I try to choose the healthiest options but sometimes I go for the non-healthy options because it just look so much yummier. What I try to do is get the smaller version of the unhealthy meal and I don’t use ketchup, mayo, and order tea or diet coke. Yet sometimes I just wish I had the luxury of sitting down and ordering a healthier option at a non-fast food restaurant. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.812 2007-04-23T00:33:50Z 2007-05-30T01:27:19Z

Older people don’t believe me when I assure them that my body is softer, my tummy is puffier, I see more cellulite, more spider veins…and that, makes it so much harder to lose the weight and keep it off....

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> It’s been about two weeks since I haven’t gone to the gym. It’s also been that long since I stopped writing in my food journal. I was afraid this would eventually happen; that I would find myself feeling like a stagnant body of water. I’m not seeing the quick results I saw when I was 20. Back then I lost 50 pounds in about a year. I would jog in a nearby park, ride my bike, and walk alot around my college campus from class to class. I thought about how easy it was back then and how 7 years later, it’s become harder. It’s a challenge for me to lose weight in my late 20s. Not only because I’m not in my early 20s anymore, or live the life of a student, but because older people don’t believe me when I assure them that my body is softer, my tummy is puffier, I see more cellulite, more varicose veins…etc. etc. People keep asking me, “Are you noticing the weight loss?” I even caught a few people looking at my stomach. Noooo! I’m so self-concious now but I try to forget the stares, the comments, and the expectations people have of me. Instead, I try to focus on the bigger picture and try to move along. Slowly but with a purpose, like a snail. I still look at the nutrition facts on all food products that have it and I still watch my food servings and portions. I even stave off the urge, desire, and need for French fries and fast food. I guess taking care of myself is like a balancing act where one side wins and the other loses. I avoid fast food and cave when I go to buffets. I avoid eating large quantities of food but I cave in front of chocolate. I won’t drink my calories by quenching my thirst with a juice but I will have a chai latte when I really want one. We have to face so many challenges each day. It’s only natural that we fail somewhere down the line. Though I may fail sometimes, I also know that I will not be a complete failure because I’m not eating everything I used to eat and that is a big change. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.811 2007-04-22T23:44:00Z 2007-07-12T14:46:53Z

Who needs tennis shoes, a jogging suit and an iPod? Last Friday I found out that to take care of myslef I don't need fancy gadgets, cute clothes, or big machines....

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> On Friday I had some free time on my hands. Not enough to change into my workout clothes, drive to the gym and workout for my usual hour at the gym. But I did have about 30 minutes before my boyfriend came home from work. I walked out of my apartment to check the mail and with key and my mail in hand, I set out to change my mind-set and get out of my two-week rut. I walked for 40 minutes around my apartment complex! It was about 6:30 p.m. when I started and the sun was still out so I was not afraid of walking around my apartment complex. I didn’t even mind that I was walking in my work clothes or in my chanclas (sandals). I just felt so good to finally be moving again. I moved without thinking twice. It started with a small step to the mail box and ended with a lot of steps toward a new week of walking that will eventually turn into a lot of months, years, and a lifetime of walking. There really is no excuse anymore. I can’t say I don’t have time to go the gym. This is not a valid excuse anymore. It starts with one step out of the door. Before I know it, I’ve walked the desired 30 minutes a day. My apartment complex is big. The open windows, people on porches, children playing, and flowers around my complex keep me occupied and time flies. I can then come back home. After that walk, I felt like I was back on track again. I felt ready to move on-re-energized, feeling happy, de-stressed, and all without really having to step a foot in the gym. tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.801 2007-04-20T18:02:21Z 2007-05-07T03:55:43Z

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema ]]> tag:choosetomoveblog.com,2007:/zulema//15.787 2007-04-15T23:14:53Z 2007-05-29T20:15:16Z

Oh my God! I haven’t exercised in a week! I stopped writing in my food journal too. To top things off, I ate a burger, fries, and drank a cherry-limeade for lunch one day and a quesadilla another day....

Zulema http://choosetomoveblog.com/zulema Oh my God! I haven’t exercised in a week! I stopped writing in my food journal too. To top things off, I ate a burger, fries, and drank a cherry-limeade for lunch one day and a quesadilla another day. I’m not sure if I should blame the external things in my life or if I should just blame my rebellious behavior. Maybe it’s the loads of tests and assessments at work, or the pressures of buying a new home, or the lack of motivation in my daily life. I don’t know what’s going on but this week I felt like I was destroying myself. My boyfriend gave up on the nicotine patches too. He’s smoking again. I made an offer on two houses already and someone else was chosen on both occasions. At work I feel like I’m not teaching anymore. I feel like all I’m doing is preparing kids for “the test”. Testing, assessing, and testing some more. It’s almost the end of the school year and there are several things teachers must do to close the school year properly. I have to update student folders, have conferences with parents to tell them that their son or daughter will fail the first grade, and then there are faculty meetings and grade level meetings I have to attend. I feel so bad! I feel tired and sad. I move without energy. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking, I need to get back on track! I decided to get back on track today. After typing up my annual self-report for my principal, I felt so tired and guilty with myself for letting stress and sadness get the best of me and letting these feelings get between my workout and I. I felt defeated. I took a nap and thought a lot (and napped a little). I woke up, washed the dishes from the night before (I guess I should mention here that we made tamales). I finished cleaning the kitchen and I went outside to throw the trash. I felt the cool breeze, the sunshine, and the smell of grills cooking meat. It felt so good to be outside and walk even if it was for a few minutes. Even when I think I’m getting worse at eating healthy and moving more, I find I keep getting on because I’ve only been doing this for 5 weeks and I’ve been living an unhealthy life for 27 years. I can’t expect my boyfriend to quit cold turkey and I can’t expect myself to run, lift weights, and stretch 7 days a week. Last week I bought 5-pound weights to start toning my body. I’ve also been thinking about finding a trainer that can show me how to use the gym equipment. I want to build muscle and become a stronger person.