SoWell on Sowal

[Paula]

Well, Paula is back. I returned from Hong Kong on Saturday and my sister was in town so I didn't keep up with much of SoWal.com. Can't say I lost weight either (gained about 2-3 pounds which isn't bad for staying 9 days in a nice hotel where all your meals are fixed for you and paid for by someone else!). Because of SoWell on SoWal I drank less wine than usual, ate fewer desserts, and even skipped a few meals. But, between that trip and my sister's visit, I won't see any results of the "reinvented me" for about a week.

Congrats to IWishIWasThere and others on their weight loss. I was on South Beach Diet a few years ago, lost over 10 pounds and, though I stopped South Beach after a few months, kept about 4 of those pounds off.

As for the "reinvented me", ironing isn't part of it, Tootsie. In fact, I was thinking of sending some of the shirts out to be ironed! The reinvented me includes:

1. Seeing myself as a healthy person who makes good food choices (I'm getting better though need to work on this one -- haven't even started the exercise "me" yet, though I'm planning to visit 3 local gyms to check out the temperature of their pool water within the next week).
2. Really savoring the time with the kids. Sometimes I'm tired and don't really enjoy the times I should enjoy or I get distracted, and I've really savored the time with the kids since I've been back from Hong Kong. Our oldest will be home only 3.5 years and our youngest has only 5.5 years before college. And they are great kids (so far).
3. Spending more time with friends rather than work (I really wish I had gone kayaking or to Grayton Beach with SoWal friends when I was in SoWal, but instead I was cleaning the cottage -- clearly the old me made a very bad choice!). I'm going to spend time this month catching up with friends I haven't seen for a while because we've all been "too busy".
4. Sleeping better which means making myself stay in bed when i wake up early rather than get up to putter or do something "worthwhile". A good night sleep is very worthwhile.
5. Doing my work at work without worrying about it, and enjoy it instead -- see it all as a learning experience.
6. Turning my laptop off before dinner and keeping it off until morning.

And I've been in a great mood since I started creating the "new me". I was so relaxed this week (although that's probably also because some big work projects are behind me now).

What's your "reinvented you" Tootsie and others?

 

[Smiling JOe]

Lesson learned yesterday -- do not do a strenuous aerobic workout, followed by heavy weight lifting in the same day.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Can we forget SoWell on Sowal until January 2nd?

No you may not. These winter holiday months are when you need SoWel the most. If you can make healthy choices during these times, January the second will come with you feeling wonderful about yourself. No one says that you have to eat turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving. Last year, I was treated to raw oysters and stone crab claws for my Thanksgiving lunch, and I felt so much better after eating those instead of the traditional stuff. As Tootsie said, reinvent yourself, including making new traditions.

 

[InletBchDweller]

:nono1: Now how can a southern boy like you NOT eat turkey and dressing (cornbread) on Thanksgiving. Isnt that a BIG NO NO???? :funn: We are going to Guana Key, Abaco Bahamas for thanksgiving and we are bringing in everything to have our traditional tday dinner. Even pecan pie!!!! That is one thing I cant do without....sorry sowellers....

No you may not. These winter holiday months are when you need SoWel the most. If you can make healthy choices during these times, January the second will come with you feeling wonderful about yourself. No one says that you have to eat turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving. Last year, I was treated to raw oysters and stone crab claws for my Thanksgiving lunch, and I felt so much better after eating those instead of the traditional stuff. As Tootsie said, reinvent yourself, including making new traditions.

 

[Smiling JOe]

:nono1: Now how can a southern boy like you NOT eat turkey and dressing (cornbread) on Thanksgiving. Isnt that a BIG NO NO???? :funn: We are going to Guana Key, Abaco Bahamas for thanksgiving and we are bringing in everything to have our traditional tday dinner. Even pecan pie!!!! That is one thing I cant do without....sorry sowellers....

Honey, I've eaten enough southern cooking to last me, my children, and my grandchildren a lifetime. ;-) While it may taste good going down, it doesn't fit my dietary needs, and I can do fine without it.

 

[Paula]

All good thoughts, SJ. Let's see if by Jan 2 all of us weigh no more than we do now, and perhaps a bit less.

As for reinventing, I have one more thing I'm going to do differently than before (reinventing is as much about attitude as it is about weight and exercise).

It's snowing now and, while it's pretty, I usually complain about the winter cold (outside and inside our house -- it's a 1912 house so it's not very well insulated) and I complain about how long cold weather lasts around here (beginning in October and going well into April). So, this year I've decided to enjoy the winter rather than complain about it. I bought 3 little oil heaters to put in the rooms that I spend time in so I can be warmer (I took action rather than complained about the cold). I also bought early spring bulbs so that I start getting a taste of spring even when it's cold outside. The early bulbs start coming up here in late February and make the late winter much nicer as they peak through the snow.

 

[InletBchDweller]

Honey, I've eaten enough southern cooking to last me, my children, and my grandchildren a lifetime. ;-) While it may taste good going down, it doesn't fit my dietary needs, and I can do fine without it.

Oh..... OK,

 

[kathydwells]

No you may not. These winter holiday months are when you need SoWel the most. If you can make healthy choices during these times, January the second will come with you feeling wonderful about yourself. No one says that you have to eat turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving. Last year, I was treated to raw oysters and stone crab claws for my Thanksgiving lunch, and I felt so much better after eating those instead of the traditional stuff. As Tootsie said, reinvent yourself, including making new traditions.

DAMN!!!

Raw oysters and stone crab claws sound like a fine Turkey day meal to me!! My family would kill me though if I did not make the traditional turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings. I am going to practice portion control rather than doing without. That will be my reinvention for myself!!!

 

[Teresa]

No you may not. These winter holiday months are when you need SoWel the most. If you can make healthy choices during these times, January the second will come with you feeling wonderful about yourself. No one says that you have to eat turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving. Last year, I was treated to raw oysters and stone crab claws for my Thanksgiving lunch, and I felt so much better after eating those instead of the traditional stuff. As Tootsie said, reinvent yourself, including making new traditions.

DAMN!!!

nice try darlene. IT WON"T WORK !!! :clap_1: looks like SJ is the assistant whip cracker (to our own DD - Head whip cracker). where is DD???

 

[Teresa]

Paula: I really like your self-reinvention plan and will use some of it for my own. Because of some of my ankle issues the exercise is the most important thing I can do for myself. It has become necessary for mobility, so this is what I am concentrating on now. I've gone to one yoga class, and one private pilates class this week. I need to add a home yoga practice, and bicycling. All of these exercise activities are very therapeutic to me mentally as well as physically, so my plan is to put all my effort into the exercise NOW, and let the rest of my plan fall into place slowly. I don't have details as you have done, but this is my prelminary list of priorities as far as change:

1. exercise
2. healthy eating for me and my family
3. family time
4. enjoy the holiday season and winter fully! I LOVE winter anyway - but tend to hibernate, I need to get out into the weather much more.
5. be more organized in my home and on my calendar!!!

If I really work on 1 and 5, then the other things will be easier to accomplish. thanks for motivating me paula to put this into words and think about it.