Learning to Love Veggies…
Posted on December 28, 2011 by Christine | 13 Comments
I’m afraid to write this post. I feel like every time I share something big like this, I immediately sink myself and fail. I’m hoping that if I admit that up front this time, I won’t do it to myself. *fingers crossed*
My mom has talked a lot over the past year about how she has been dieting & losing weight, and the biggest change? Low (slow) carbs, cutting out bread & pasta, and cutting out high-fructose corn syrup. No “diet” – just making changes. I was inspired, but with our move & everything else, I made some changes to my diet but didn’t dive too deep. I knew she was losing weight, but it wasn’t until she wore a sweater on her birthday a few weeks ago that I know fit her completely different a year ago that I saw how much weight she had lost! Go Mom!
A few days after her birthday, while I was out Christmas shopping, I stopped in Anthropologie – but I didn’t bother looking at the clothes. I knew they didn’t carry my size, and that made me sad, frustrated, angry – a whole range of emotions. I feel that way all the time when I shop. Even though a huge portion of the women in America are technically Plus Size, plus size clothing is so hit or miss still. (Come on designers! Catch up with the needs!) Right then, as I stood in the store, I set a goal for myself that a year from now I want to be able to walk in there and buy a dress off the rack. I’m adding it to my Life List even.
Then I watched “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” last Tuesday. Talk about motivational! Oh my goodness! It is on Netflix, and if you want a swift kick to make you want to diet, watch it. Follow it up with “Food, Inc.” like I did, and it will cause a big shift if you’re like me. I’m fortunate that we already go to Revival Market for most of our meat, and I know they could probably tell me exactly where every piece comes from, plus they butcher things in-house. YAY!
As soon as I finished watching those movies, I decided to run with the motivation. So what if it was just days before Christmas??? I decided then and there, that very day, that it was time to change my diet.
By last Thursday, I was off of drinking caffeine. (Fountain Coke is my weakness!) I’ve cut way, way back on the “bad whites” – flour, rice, potatoes. I’ve nearly eliminated flour & therefore gluten as well. I’ve cut back on dairy, because I love cheese a bit too much. My goal is to consume 50% of the volume of what I eat as vegetables. The rest of my diet from meats, fruit and the occasional nut.
I may get to the point of going with the Four Hour Body diet – I know so many people that have been very successful on it. The Crazy Sexy Diet book has also been mentioned many times. I have even considered juicing for 30 days just to really kick start everything, or at least doing a 5 day juicing fast. We’ll see. Ultimately, I know that in order to make it stick, I have to modify it and make it my own.
Diets never succeed. They might help get you started, but they are NOT sustainable. Life changes, and improving your eating habits overall? That will stick!
The whole reason I’m writing this post is so I can look back later and remind myself of why I started doing this, and how after a week of just drinking water and eating lots of veggies, I woke up this morning craving carrots! Not a bready starchy “goodness” full of empty calories, but carrots! And a BIG glass of water, not a Coke. That is already a HUGE change from a week ago!
Interesting side note – I’ve battled being congested for most of the month of December, and nothing seemed to help. Then I started this dietary change, cut out most of my gluten consumption, and viola! NO CONGESTION!!! Coincidence? I don’t think so.
I made it through Christmas without too much of an issue – I did sample a few sweets here & there, but any time I did I kept it minimal – and I ended up 2lbs down from where I was a week ago when I started. I’ll take that!
Tags: 4 hour body | crazy sexy diet | diet | fat sick and nearly dead | food inc | four hour body | juice fast | juicing | slow carb | vegetables | weight loss
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The Rain is Falling…
Posted on December 22, 2011 by Christine | 3 Comments
2011 has been the craziest year as far as the weather goes. Record highs in Houston, months with no rain at all, a major drought. Just crazy.
Now I find it is absolutely fascinating to watch how Houstonians respond to hearing rain outside. It is magical! It seems like no one wants to complain about it though, just so we don’t jinx it.
Also interesting is how different rain sounds in our 90+ year old Heights bungalow. It somehow feels more intimate. Like it is just a few inches away. I love it!
I should probably sleep, but I’m enjoying this so much.
It has me thinking about other things in life. When you’re deprived of something for a long time, does it completely change your perspective of it? When will rain feel normal again?
The Start of My Life List…
Posted on December 17, 2011 by Christine | 7 Comments
I’ve been thinking of creating a life list for some time now. I first came across Mighty Girl’s Mighty Life List awhile back, and it got me thinking. But I wasn’t ready yet. Then I met style bloger Pam at Mom 2.0, and as I’ve worked with her on some style shoots for her blog we made plans for me to document some of her life list achievements as well. For example, one of her goals was to find the perfect pair of cowboy boots – aren’t they fantastic?!
A life list isn’t quite the same as a bucket list. A bucket list is all about the things you want to do before you die, which is just depressing. A life list is all about creating the life you want to live. I think it ties in perfectly to this quote:
– George Harrison
So for months it has been on my mind, but never enough to write things down. Not until tonight. Tonight I was watching Netflix and came across a National Geographic special on the Appalachian Trail. I had no idea about its history, traveling from Georgia to Maine, crossing 14 states. The whole thing fascinated me. And then I realized that I have the very first item for my list.
I want to hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail.
Now that I’ve started it, I wonder what I should add next?!?!!!
What about you? Do you have a Life List? What is on yours?
Tags: Appalachian Trail | hiking | life list | lifelist | Photography Blogs | travel
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We Heart Massage!
Posted on November 15, 2011 by Christine | 1 Comment
For years, I’ve had a ton of issues with my right shoulder. Probably somewhere between swim team, swimming butterfly, or waiting tables, I messed it up. Then back in 2009 while in Belize to photograph a wedding, I tripped on a boat dock and strained my right knee and left hamstring, which the orthopedic doctor’s I’ve seen can’t figure out a way to fix. This summer after our move to the Heights, I decided it was time to start visiting Angie DeSilva at We Heart Massage on White Oak and … well, I wonder why I waited so long!
She is SO AWESOME. Now instead of constant pain, she has massaged it all away with her therapeutic massage work. Ok, mostly all away – and whenever it hurts again, she is able to quickly fix it for me! Now I schedule massages for every Monday after a wedding weekend so that she can whip me right back into shape!
During one of my visits this summer I took photographs of We Heart Massage & her massage room – it is such an oasis of calm, I just had to share. I just LOVE this place!
If you’re looking for a massage therapist in Houston, be sure to check her out! If you book your appointment on Massage First – the first of the month for any time that month, you can get a session for $45! (*Special restrictions apply, so read all the details.) You can book online or over the phone. Whatever you do, get in there fast – her calendar fills up!
FTC Disclaimer disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this post. I just love We Heart Massage!
Tags: Angie D | Houston Heights | Massage | SLGT | Support Local | Support Local Grow Together | We Heart Massage
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30 Days to Talk Back…
Posted on November 13, 2011 by Christine | 1 Comment
I’ve blogged here for over 11 years now, and I’ve finally given in — I can’t take moderating the spam any more. I finally, after all this time, activated the feature in WordPress to close comments on posts more than 30 days old.
This makes me a little sad for a strange reason. It means that the whole community that randomly formed around my “Itch Relief…” post back in 2004 can no longer add comments to the post. 1,336 comments, which is by far my most commented on post to date.
Damn spammers. Have to spoil all the fun.
I’m Quite Clever
About Me
Hi! I'm Christine. Wife to Mike. Mom of Jason. Owned by 4 cats. Houston & Destination Wedding Photographer & owner of Hot Mama Boudoir. Blogger since 2000. Living in Houston, Texas since 1985. Living in a 1920 Bungalow in the Heights since 2011.
Want to know more? Just ask.
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