Life keeps getting better & better

17 Nov 2013 - 

Here we are, a new start to the work week...:-) Happy to be here.

I had an amazing weekend, they are getting better and better and I love that. Went to the movies, went on a yacht ride with nice Latinos in Dubai and met two girlfriends in the park yesterday. I also cooked, baked, went to the salon, gymmed on Friday (Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders, Abs), washed and vacuumed! Good girl.


I am so pleased that life is growing happier and better by the day. It seems to be linked with my increasing appreciation for each day, each friend, each loved one, all the great blessings of my life - I think the key is gratitude, constant appreciation and consistent awareness of those elements (people, places, situations, opportunities) that generate a feeling of joy, well-being, satisfaction, and more.

One thing I've been doing in the past 2-3 weeks is making lists of things for which I am grateful. I am also more observant about the coincidences and the unexpected good things that turn out in my favor. Simple things - earning a free coffee, the traffic parting in my favor, kind waiters, hearing the right thing at the right time. The idea of keeping a list of positive things is one I adopted from Abraham Hicks - thanks so much, Abe! :-) Indeed, I am saying yes to life and that seems to provide a positive momentum forward to attract more of the situations, people and feelings that I like.

Friday's Training & a crazy pre-workout!

Friday's workout was unplanned since I normally take rest on Friday and Saturday to then resume on Sunday ever more energized. However, that morning I was feeling particularly desirous of working on my arms - specifically my arms and fortunately these were the body parts that were in queue (day prior was Legs. 
So it was. 
However, the Pre-Workout was hugely unplanned, a surprise. What was it? Birthday chocolate cake. Yes, I still have the several (huge) pieces from my birthday (Oct 25) which I had not eaten since that day, in fact I didn't try any cake on that day or since then. However on Friday I was feeling a tad light-headed and needed some energy. I didn't want to spend the extra time making a new pot of coffee and I wanted a relatively quick boost and I knew good ol' cake would provide the required sugar/glucose spike required to energize without making me feel full. As if the cake wasn't enough, I had a few sips of the 1/2 bottle of Diet Coke in the fridge, which is a rarity in my home now (avoid carbonated drinks). 

And off I went on my merry way. For some odd yet wonderful reason I didn't give that (dubiously named) pre-workout meal a second thought. It was a blip on the radar and figured into my overall daily calories. In any event I took this opportunity to label it the carb refeed/reload day since I basically eat low-carb the whole week and require glycogen replenishment yet which I don't incorporate in a calculated intentional way. In that moment when I was contemplating what to take in as fuel I was listening to my body in terms of what it needed, and it was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a piece of cake: early in the day thus will mostly burn it off, no breakfast meal prior to it, and I was going to the gym afterwards. These key factors essentially mitigated the damage. 

I ended up having an amazing workout of about 2 hours at least, saw my friends there, and finished up strong. 

Point is you just have to listen to your body, and not zealously label a particular food as evil or vilify a particular moment of eating something that is not on your list of permissible foods. Cake is highly unusual for me. We are not machines and if you just go with the flow in those rare moments and do not castigate yourself, i.e. you don't freak out - things work out anyways. You just have to trust yourself enough to be aware that you are consistent 90% of the time with proper nutrition and have an overall disciplined approach which curbs indulgences overall. 

There's no need to make a mountain out of a molehill :-). Think long-term and appreciate the fact this is a minor blip on the large screen of your life and the multitude of future workouts and clean meals.

It can be easy to blow things out of proportion, especially the more perfectionist you are. However, with some proper objective rationalization and perspective you quickly lower any potential anxiety or concern. Just ignore it! :-)