Monday, August 16, 2010

elyssa: last week on the mountain

location: the mountain (5 days until toronto)

week in review:

as i hunker down to write this post, i notice your current obsessions: 'muted grays and navy solids'. on my trip this weekend, i bought 2 very carefully planned purchases: a soft navy merino cardigan, and an amazing grey yogaish/sweatshirt thing. while the parallel would appear trivial to an outside eye, for me it perfectly encapsulates what you said the other day over tea - - 'with us it's always weird', and by weird, i know you meant..perfectly in sync.

new york was fabulous. literally, the perfect girls weekend. we went all out with the 'girls' theme - long, emotional talks..delightful brunches..a trip to a vegan chocolatiers..dinner at home over f*r*i*e*n*d*s (sitcom).




i worried about how i would react to this trip. for all its benefits, the mountain has a tendency to augment my already present reclusive tendencies. i worried i wouldn't be able to socialize properly and enjoy all that the city and my friends have to offer. this fear stems from the fact that i am best able to eat consciously either on my own or in the presence of those who share my approach to food. at the core of the problem is the lack of faith that i have in myself to make conscious choices in a social environment. while i was tempted to indulge in moments of self-loathing as we walked merrily up the fashionable bleeker street or promenaded down 5th avenue, for the most part..i held it together.

success on vacation is the culmination of multiple, healthy choices. turning down a cream-ridden dessert (not appetizing anyways), in favor of a delightful espresso with a tad bit of cream and a small biscotti. indulging in pinkberry, vegan chocolates, and a vegan cupcake (!) - and choosing healthy alternatives to eating out (a fun excursion to whole foods, followed by a picnic in central park). had i been alone, my diet would inevitably have been more austere, but a happy balance was definitely achieved.

new challenges:

the last week at home is always the hardest. morale is down. the temptation is to say: 'what's done is done. this is what i've accomplished. the best i can do is try and semi keep it up during the year'. NO. no no no. this year, i will say: 'i made great progress this summer. the road to health never ends, school is just another opportunity to further my quest'. throughout the summer, i am able to make healthy advancements because i keep trying new things. the challenge for this week is to ensure that i still have that gusto for healthy experimentation once back in toronto.

- accept my reliance on AM exercise (i've realized i NEED it to get my day off to a good start - and the best way to embrace this 'addiction' is to allow for a brisk 20 min workout every morning)
- new exercise videos are a must (no more trouble zones doesn't really fit into this 'brisk' niche since i still gym it up in the PM)
- work on combatting my social phobias surrounding food (just say 'no, thanks - i'm eating vegan today')
- focus on a low-carb, balanced food week (eating vegan didn't really do it for me as i excessively increased carbs and fat, without sufficient protein, but i'm glad i tried!)
- reinstate the monster

current obsessions:

moving to new york, yacon syrup, nutritional yeast, developing an everyday 'uniform', evening walks

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