April 29

I was away from home the first half of the week but I managed to do a pretty good job with all three areas that I am trying to hold myself accountable for. Foodwise I cooked on Sunday and packed most of my meals so when I was hungry/it was meal time I was able to make good choices. I even went out for my favorite meal: salad bar and organic section at the grocery store. I see that it is important for me to eat enough so that I am full and not let long periods of time pass before eating again (when I want sugar the most!). I'm proud to share that I continue to spend less money on food now that I am more thoughtful about what I want to prepare (organic doesn't have to be expensive!).

I made it to the gym on Monday, took a nice walk on Tuesday, walked to the gym on Wednesday (bonus!), and today I walked with the neighbors then went to a 90 minutes hot yoga class. This was different than the last one. Lots of time getting into different postures - most of which require great balance. Good for me to work on. I got to show off my strength and flexibility along with my lack of balance and squishy gut. There were several "bendies" in the class (my sister's term for young skinny things that can flop into any position) along with older folks who know their poses. I was the tallest in the class, tied for being the broadest (one guy in the class), but at least there was one person with a larger abdominal area than mine ... the teacher! Of course I go to yoga for peace of mind, to flush out toxins, to strengthen and tone, but I also hope to lose weight and get rid of my belly shelf! If the teacher is so big it makes me wonder ... I'm just going to wonder that she used to be even bigger and is now smaller ;)

I attended a dissertation defense of a friend this week and was so proud of her! She had a tough time writing her dissertation so it gives me motivation (if she can do it so can I!). And her study is very similar to what I am doing but with a different population so it gave me many ideas and resources. I met with one of my committee members this week and she was very helpful with ideas and letting me know that she is here to help. Looks like I can use some time in the summer to finish up my proposal so I can defend before the school year starts and I want to start my study ;)

namaste