Quotable - destination happiness

"I used to believe that there was a destination happiness. With the right person - with the right job - finishing the next project - all those things would bring me permanent happiness. They did bring me many moments of happiness but now I know that life is one day at a time and you just have to work with what is in front of you. Don't visit the past too often or imagine a fantasy future just be where you are now." Source

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Quotable

Life is like riding a bicycle. You don't fall off unless you plan to stop peddling.

 -- Claude Pepper

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life's inevitable difficulties

The more you think about your own self, the more self-centred you are, the more trouble even small problems can create in your mind. The stronger your sense of ‘I’, the narrower the scope of your thinking becomes; then even small obstacles become unbearable. On the other hand, if you concern yourself mainly with others, the broader your thinking becomes, and life’s inevitable difficulties disturb you less.

~ Dali Lama

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it had to be you

“You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself,
and you will not find that person anywhere.”

Happy Valentine's Day: it had to be YOU

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every good thing

My husband's mother is nearing the end of her life. Has me feeling reflective about what's really important in this journey.

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a new year - a new start

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gratitude

Nothing like a bout of misery to wake you up to how sweet life is whether or not the scale is playing sadistic tricks. Turns out I had some problems tolerating the colonoscopy prep and procedure. I'll spare the details.

Today's a new day and I feel so grateful for the great results from the screening and that I seem to be back to normal (as close as I get to normal anyway!). I've joined health month and am jazzed about November's challenge. Woot!

[Exercise: 3 miles on treadmill]

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happy

I feel good. And I'm going for a bike ride. That is all.

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bright side

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
~ Monty Python, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

I had to have a root canal redone. This tooth is turning out to be very high maintenance as it has been a pain (literally) off and on for years. Does look like I'm going to get to keep it though so I'm happy about that. It's been pretty sore this past week but there has been one positive aspect -- it's made me stop and really think about what I'm going to eat. Yesterday, it was yogurt city. If I eat anything more solid than yogurt, it's very gingerly. This is a good thing because I've become much more conscious with my eating.

Heading out to meet up with my man in Reno. Yee-haw.

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rise & shine

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who knew?

Before tuning in to watch this season's The Biggest Loser at its midpoint, I'd never before watched "reality TV." The crazy over-the-top drama and product placement was strange at first but now I realize it was all part of the good times. Last night, I found myself missing this bizarre weekly ritual that despite the weirdness factor never failed to inspire.

Here are the 3 Life Lessons You Can Learn From the Biggest Loser according to Jillian:

1. Nothing Is Impossible
Let's face it: If I can take a person that is 400 pounds and get them into run-a-marathon shape in four months, we as human beings are capable of just about anything

2. You Should Never Ask "Why Me"--Instead, Ask "Why NOT Me?"
Society--and sometimes even our own friends and family members--says you are arrogant and selfish if you want to be anything beyond the norm. Strive to become healthier or richer or more successful than average and it becomes a "Who do you think you are?" scenario. That is such a crock of s#$%. On Biggest Loser my contestants learn to stop asking "Why me?" and ask this question: "Why not me?" Why not me get gorgeous, healthy and famous? Why not me fall in love? Why not me have the career of my dreams? And here is the best part: by putting themselves first for once, they change their lives, achieve their goals and inspire a nation. So, the next time you feel less-than or undeserving of making a healthy change, ask yourself that question...Why not you?

3. You Must Choose To Be Happy.
Life will not always be easy. You won't always be happy. Things will go wrong that are unfair and totally out of your control, but... you have a choice. You can choose to become a victim of these unfortunate events or you can choose to learn from them and grow. A lot of the contestants on Biggest Loser have had very sad lives--some filled with tragedy, all filled with physical hardship. But the ones who succeed do so because they come to find a meaning and purpose in their struggles that propels them towards a beautiful rich fulfilling future. Are you at a lifestyle or weight turning point? What choice are you going to make?

We are capable of more than we think. We are worthy of the effort it takes to become fit and healthy. We hold more power over the course of our lives than we often believe.

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It's never too late

"I want everyone to know, middle-aged women and men as well, it’s never too late to start this journey of weight loss. If you want to change your life,
it’s possible. You can do it. If I can do it, you can do it too.
You just have to believe in yourself. Just start the process."

~ Helen Phillips

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What we think...we become

Heading out to try out my new ryka walking shoes. Read a few things this morning I'll mull over during the walk:

• Study blames over-eating, not poor exercise for US obesity
• Coconut oil - a new super food?
• How mothers influence daughters' body image
• Getting Older and Gaining Weight (hat tip Jody)
  

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More than this...

Remember the song "More Than This" by Roxy Music? One of my all time faves.

You may have noticed that I changed the name of this blog from Fit by Fifty to Lee Getting Fit. I changed it to reflect a change in my thinking. It probably seems as if I'm completely numbers-on-the-scale fixated but there's something more important that is in my focus - health and having a fit body for life. You're probably familiar with Tony at The Anti-Jared. One thing he wrote on his blog that really clicked with me is how he wanted to be fit and strong as well as being 200 pounds lighter. He remarked about how sometimes people who lose weight just seem like shrunken versions of their previous self and not necessarily more vibrant and strong. Some truth there! Yes, I want to reach and maintain a certain healthy weight range (135-139). But more importantly, I want to continue with a healthstyle that will enable an active life where I feel strong and look good (vibrant!) for the rest of my life.

Because what I'm pursuing is more than reaching a scale goal, I want to share what I consider to be important information. Cancer is a word and a topic that most people want to avoid, if they can. But, I challenge you to identify a person whose life has not been at least touched by cancer. We need to cut through the denial (i.e., cancer happens to other people) and fear. Instead we need to be receptive to credible information about how to reduce our chances of developing cancer and ways to live with cancer and/or be of help to the people we know who are living with cancer.

With this in mind, here's some information from Dr. Weil. Help spread the word.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed among Americans. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 108,070 new cases of colon cancer and more than 40,000 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2009. The good news is that both the incidence of these diseases and the death rate from them are declining, thanks to improved treatments and earlier diagnosis. To help reduce your risk, try the following simple measures:

1. Cut back on or avoid eating red or processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, ham, and cold cuts.
2. Maintain a healthy weight.
3. Eat fiber-rich foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. Get screened for colon cancer, especially if you are over age 50. Discuss appropriate tests and screenings with your doctor.***
5. Stay active.
6. Minimize your overall fat consumption.
7. Limit your alcohol intake.
8. Quit smoking (smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely than nonsmokers to die of colorectal cancer).
9. Ask your doctor about taking a low-dose aspirin, such as one baby aspirin a day (81 mg).

*** Get screened for colon cancer at any age if a family member has been diagnosed with this type of cancer or if you have any of these symptoms.

As MizFit says: listen to your body. As Lance says: Live Strong!

ADDED: Cancer Symptoms Women Often Ignore via Jody at Truth2BeingFit.

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it's how you look at it

You’ll get more from the workout if you view it as a personal retreat,
not an obligation. '“It’s an opportunity to feel balanced and powerful."'

~ Ellen Barrett, in The Ultimate 15-minute Workout via Natural Health

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day tripper

NY Times food writer Mark Bittman changed his diet, lost 35 pounds, nipped some troubling health conditions in the buds and wrote a book about it. Now he's in book promotion mode and is talking about the wake up call to change his diet and how he became a vegan, sort of.

Mark made the changes after developing high cholesterol, borderline high blood sugar, bad knees and sleep apnea, and realizing he was about 35 pounds overweight. A doctor suggested he adopt a vegan diet, which means no animal products. But for a food writer, Mark said, becoming a full-time vegan was both unrealistic and undesirable. Instead, he came up with a compromise:

"I decided to do this sort of “vegan till 6” plan. I didn’t have huge thoughts or plans about it. I just thought it was worth a try. Within three or four months, I lost 35 pounds, my blood sugar was normal, cholesterol levels were again normal … and my sleep apnea indeed went away. All these good things happened, and it wasn’t as if I was suffering so I stayed with it…. I have not eliminated anything completely from my diet. I haven’t had a Coke in a while, but I didn’t drink that much Coke to begin with."

Those are some terrific results after only three or four months! Here's Bittman's Day Tripper approach to a healthier way of eating:

My arrangement with myself is that from the time I wake up until dinner I eat only fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. I don’t even eat white bread during the day. And then starting at dinner, I do. I have one meal a day when I do pretty much what I want, which is normally quite indulgent.

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won't rain on my parade

It's funny how we, as humans, are such uniquely different individuals and, yet, we are all essentially the same. No matter what we have going on, it's a good idea to get negative Nelly and Neils out of our lives (or at least minimize our contact with them).

Negative People

A woman was at her hairdresser's getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband. She mentioned the trip to the hairdresser, who responded: "Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty. You're crazy to go to Rome ... So, how are you getting there?"

"We're taking Continental." was the reply. "We got a great rate!"

"Continental?" exclaimed the hairdresser. "That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome?"

"We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome's Tiber River called Teste."

"Don't go any further. I know that place. Everybody thinks it's gonna be something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump, the worst hotel in the city! The rooms are small, the service is surly, and they're overpriced. So, whatcha' doing when you get there?"

"We're going to go to see the Vatican and we hope to see the Pope."

"That's rich." laughed the hairdresser. "You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll lo ok the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it."

A month later, the woman again came in for a hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome.

"It was wonderful," explained the woman, "not only were we on time in one of Continental's brand new planes, but it was overbooked, and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on me hand and foot. And the hotel was great! They'd just finished a $5 million remodeling job, and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city. They, too, were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us their owner's suite at no extra charge!"

"Well," muttered the hairdresser, "that's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope."

"Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder, and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if I'd be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the P ope would personally greet me. Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me."

"Oh, really! What'd he say?"

He said: "Where'd you get the shitty hairdo?"

Remember to have fun today...