A Reflection on Healing

So last night I ended up consuming a little more than I thought... I was meeting a girlfriend who I had not seen in a while for dinner at Atlantic Grill. I did end up getting Salmon and vegetables, but we decided to share dessert (chocolate fondue, which was delicious by the way). Also, by the time I sat down I was STARVING (it was a late weeknight dinner for me, 8:30), so I gobbled down 1 1/2 pieces of bread with butter. I probably ate 500-600 more calories than I planned, but today is a new day. I also had a great 30 minute run where I sprinted at speed 9 for the past quarter mile, and then did a 15-minute Nike Training Club ab workout.

My meditation class was amazing. We went into deep meditation for about a half hour, and for the remainder of the class, the teacher gave us a lesson on how to heal ourselves and others. Most of the focus is on giving love to people and realizing that we are all interdependent on one another. A good way to look at it is as if we have had an endless amount of lives before this one, and that any person we meet/see/hear of could have been our mother in a previous life. It is for this reason that we should treat everyone with love and respect. There is one part that I had some trouble grasping, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me-- that even if someone were to insult us or say something horrible to us, we should still treat them with love and kindness as if they are above us. I think this relates to the good old saying: "Kill 'em with kindness." I worried that in order to follow this, I must always be nice to everyone, even if they doing something that pisses me off (specifically the people on the subway come to mind), but the teacher also spoke about plain old IGNORING. If there is something in our presence that is unpleasant, why should we let it effect us? Why not just ignore it?! Makes perfect sense.

I have such great thoughts running through my whole bloodstream from this class. The final thing I want to reflect on from it is a quote our teacher said in the beginning-

“Where would I find enough leather
To cover the entire surface of the earth?
But with leather soles beneath my feet,
It’s as if the whole world has been covered.”

-Śāntideva

Part of the reason we suffer is because we try so desperately to get rid of everything that might hurt us or ruin our happiness. But is actually our own minds that cause our happiness, not all of these external forces. We can't cover the whole world in leather, but we can cover our minds when we need to, and give love that we take in.

I hope everyone has a positive day and takes advantage of the wonderful power we have over our own minds! -Riana

Back in the Groove

I don't like to think that I've fallen off the wagon but I've definitely had some hiccups in my quest to healthiness.

I think part of the reason it is difficult for me to lose the last 12 pounds I've wanted to lose for a while is living in the city and being surrounded by wonderful things to eat and drink everywhere I look! Also, being at work from 9-5 every day can put many dangerous opportunities in front of our faces-- cupcakes, sugary drinks, an amazing cafeteria, and a few too many happy hours and snack times. How do I get back on track? How can I finally lose these LBS?!

I don't want to make a huge list of things I'm going to change because that can be both overwhelming and scary when I start to see myself falling off the wagon. My goal this time, is to change one habit each week. This week's is getting back into calorie-counting consistently. I use MyFitnessPal, which is a great app where I can track both my calories and my exercise. I've been using a Heart Rate Monitor when exercising so I know exactly how many calories I am burning and can eat. I'm thinking that the more conscious I am about what I am eating/how many calories I am consuming, the easier it will be to limit my portions and make healthier choices.

Here's what I've eaten today so far:

Breakfast:
Almond Coconut KIND Bar -- these are SO delicious and satisfying - 210 calories

Mid-morning Snack:
Chobani Flip (Vanilla-Chocolate Chip/Raspberry) - 165 calories

Lunch:
Baby spinach salad with honey turkey, pepperjack cheese, red peppers, avocado, and olive oil - 351 calories

Afternoon Snack:
Skim latte - 130 calories
Terra Chips - 300 calories

Exercise:
3 Mile Run - -300 calories
30 Minute Nike Training Club Workout - -300 calories

Evening Snack (since I am having a late dinner):
Baby carrots - 79 calories

This means I will have 635 calories left for dinner. I am thinking I will have a piece of fish (Branzino or Salmon) and some vegetables, and one glass of wine.

I am also taking my first meditation class tonight! I'm very excited about it as I think it will be very helpful in teaching me how to relax and maybe curb some of the anxious thoughts I often have.

Going to finish up my day so I can head to the gym.

Until tomorrow!
-Riana