Tuesday, March 19th

It has been crazy snowing here in Vermont today.  And from what I can tell, it isn't stopping!  It's so bad out that the chefs and some of the administrative staff have decided to stay the night and sleep in the empty rooms.  Here are some pictures I took today of the snow.

This morning I woke up early to do the Morning Momentum class and then I went down to breakfast. After I ate, I went to the Pilates Circuit class.  There was a lot of work with the fitball and the Pilates ring.  I got to do my awesome sit up from laying down position again...so that felt rewarding.

After Pilates, I strapped on the ol' bathing suit (there was a lot of breathe in, breathe out to get it on properly) and went to aquatics.  It was great being back in the pool. We did a mix of cardio and strength training and when it finished, I swam a couple extra laps in the pool (head above water breast strokes) because it just felt so good to be in the pool.

Lunch today was the weekly 'Silent/Mindful' lunch...after concentrating so hard on my lemon chicken, tomato salad, quinoa, and broccoli coleslaw, I just came to the conclusion that I mindfully did not enjoy today's lunch.  On top of not enjoying it, I think I chipped a bit of my tooth on a stone.  Did you know that quinoa has a tendency to have STONES in it?  Well, it does and when I bit down on it, it made a very large noise at my table and my tablemates noticed and broke the silence to ask if I was okay.  My tooth is okay, but I think a tiny bit has probably been swallowed with the stone.  After lunch, I immediately found Robyn, our dietitian and told her to put me on the No Quinoa list, so I shouldn't be getting it again while I am here.  I'm sorry, but healthy, whole grain, good source of protein, blah, blah, blah is NOT worth it!  I can imagine my conversation with my dentist. "Beth have you been chewing on rocks?  Your teeth are a disaster!" "Well, actually...I'm eating healthier!"

My afternoon class was about Muscle Magic.  LynnAnn went over the different types of muscles that we have (skeletal, smooth, cardiac) and what is the most important thing for them (nutrients, water, oxygen) and really made sure we understood the importance of strength training.

I then attended Cardio Circuit Blast and it was TOUGH today!  But I stuck with it and felt really good when it was complete.  Snack followed and then a class taught by Darla about living in the moment or minute.  We tried to identify when we get 'stuck' and how we can give ourselves space before we get to stuck.  For example, when I get bored, I tend to watch 5 movies in one sitting.  So perhaps I can take a moment to step outside for fresh air and then decide my next move.  Maybe it will be that I go for a walk, or maybe it will be a bargain with myself that I will watch one movie and then be active or engage in a hobby.  

At the end of class, she wanted to make sure that we all had our affirmations handy in our brains to use when we really need them.  I have two for myself.  The first is when I am between decisions, or I just made a terrible decision and I feel guilty.  It is, "Every moment is a choice.  My next one can be good."  And my second is when I am self hating my body.  I actually got this one from my mother.  Years ago when I was upset about my weight, Mom said to me, "No one important in your life has ever stopped loving you because of your weight."  So today, I have added on to this and my affirmation is, "No one has ever stopped loving me because of my weight, so why should I?"  It's just so empowering!  I need to repeat it daily until it becomes part of my everyday inner voice.

Dinner tonight also wasn't great for me.  It was Sesame Flavored Pollock, kale, and brown rice.  The only thing I was excited about was the CHEESECAKE for dessert!  Woo!  It was....okay.  :0)  I did enjoy it actually, but my stomach didn't enjoy all of the dairy and rejected it rather quickly.  Awesome.  All in all, not a great food day for Beth.  I'm sure tomorrow will be better.