Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Gripes, McDougalling and Yoga-ing (?)


Fresh from my first Yoga self-taught lesson I felt a blog coming on. :)

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about some used books found at the thrift store here. One of them was a Yoga book I recently finished reading. Molly Fox's Yoga Weight Loss Program was very informative for a wannabe Yoga-ing (is that a word?) person like me. I'll quickly add I didn't buy this book for the 'weight loss' part, but was impressed by the illustrations when thumbing through the pages. There are different regimens to follow: energy, strength, and calming. These are all laid out step-by-step and are pretty easy to follow along to. I love that the models are real women and not runway models in spandex thongs. :) This part of the book with the routines/lessons/illustrations, and really the reason I bought the book, were perfect.

There is also a section on self hypnosis and some exercises to encourage positive thinking in exercise/dieting. All were a bit too much like going to the shrink, but I'm hyper sensitive to that mumbo jumbo. However it was the section on diet that makes me hesitant to recommend the book. The co-author of the book, a certified nutritionist, advises against vegetarianism using a really vague 'humans always have/were meant to eat meat' reasoning. Yuck.

Anyways, even having very limited space (a 2'x5' area) to work in, I was surprised at how I could feel all my muscles slowly working. Sometimes I had to lay/recline diagonally, but it worked. The baby cat found all this bending with my hair dangling (it's going in a clip next time!), and laying on the floor much fun. :) Overall, the exercise felt good. And after I was done, a sense of happiness or possibly even peacefulness filled me. Actually, with each breath and movement I could feel my mood changing.


Also, today is my first day attempting the McDougall diet. Agnes, who has a veg*n blog Kari Cooks, left a comment on a previous post recommending checking the McDougall site for low-cost recipes. I took her advice, and found some useful recipes. However when delving further into the site, I found some great nutritional advice and a diet plan that will help me lower my triglycerides and cholesterol. For those that are familiar with the McDougall diets, I'm doing the Mary-Mini and then switching to the MWL for at LEAST the first 20-25 pounds of weight loss. After that I'll switch to the regular program.

My lunch today: roasted potato wedges served with catsup,
pepper salad with Dijon mustard & balsamic dressing
and mushroom/onion/carrot soup.


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Edited to remove griping. I didn't want this on my blog if/when I ever read my old posts-- a written reminder of a bad memory. Thanks again for everyone's comments. :)

6 comments:

Tara said...

I am so sorry that you are having such a rough time. The very first thing I thought of when I read this was "They can come live with me!" Never mind that I have a tiny, one-room apartment and I live in Alaska. If you ever need someone to vent or talk to, feel free to e-mail me.

Anonymous said...

Reni! I'm so sorry to hear that the apartment fell through. I knew you were keen to get out of the in-laws house and now I understand why! Your FIL sounds like a prehistoric moron!
I really hope good luck/news comes your way soon, it sounds like you guys need some, and you deserve it!
Take care xx

Tara said...

How are you doing? I forgot to mention that it's great you started up with yoga, as it will probably help you feel better.
I changed my blog's address (and name) and it's now snowyvegan.blogspot.com, just in case you want to keep stopping by!

Lenora said...

Dear Reni,
I can't even remotely imagine being in your shoes, and reading your rant has had the "silver lining" - so to speak - of making any moaning and groaning about my life seem so inconsequential. I wish you all the best in finding your families OWN PLACE soon, and also a wonderful job.
Hugs - from far away in California.

Reni said...

Thanks for all the comments. The encouragement is much appreciated. There is good news on the way...

:)

Zoey said...

Hi Reni,

I found your blog through Tara at snowy vegan. I discovered the McDougall plan over the summer and I have really enjoyed it. Granted I have never done a Mary's mini or the MWL plan, but the regular plan worked its way right into my life. Your lunch looks delicious!