Saturday, September 11, 2010

elyssa: getting back on track

location: toronto

week in review:

toronto is bustling with limos and escalades. paparazzi and celebutantes. the whole city comes alive for two weeks every september to host the second most important film festival in the world (second only to cannes). as rail thin women in designer gowns traipse up and down my street, it would be easy to entertain thoughts of inadequacy, but i am forever comforted by my newfound (if struggling) focus on health, not weight.

i'm rethinking the notion of the 1 week challenge. clean week was a disaster on many levels. while my intentions were good - i did end up feeling deprived - and that as we know - can only lead to bad places. i threw clean week to the wind on friday and indulged in a day on the town with the boy and his sister. we had thai, and chocolates, and sushi. oh my. everything tasted so good.



there were some delightful clean meals at home (the problem wasn't what i ate - but the quantities and mood with which i approached my food)..
turmeric eggplant and spinach


butternut squash with apples, topped with earth balance

the best thing about clean week? i'm now on 10 consecutive days of yoga. some days at the gym. some days at home. some 2 hrs. some only 20 mins. i am happy that my practices are showing increased skill, but most importantly - i am happy that i practice everyday not because i feel compelled or forced, but because i genuinely crave a bit of yoga in my day. it is because i love yoga so much that it always naturally finds a slot in my routine - and for this, my dear, i thank you. you gave me yoga.

new challenges:

the food part of clean week went a bit iffy, but my body is feeling rested and renewed. today i got back on track with my exercise and felt better than ever. as i return full time to school, the goal is to exercise vigorously without going overboard. the latter part being the key. i have to remember that when i push myself too far, i will inevitably be too tired the next day to exercise properly, resulting in disaster. moderation: it's an art.

- take more precautions to avoid overtraining (like no weights on consecutive days)
- keep up the yoga
- incorporate HITT (high intensity interval training) into days when i don't want to slug away at the elliptical for 40 mins
- push myself to moderate naturally (avoid obsessive calorie counting)

lastly, this week i've learned the importance of respecting what my body craves. i want to take the time to identify what it is that my body really wants - i.e. i'm thinking of cake, i must need carbs, seek healthy carbs, instead of devouring a random slice of cake. today i craved pb and banana - and i gave myself just that, with a bit o' pumpkin and cinnamon, on a sandwich thin. it kept me happy for a long time..


current obsessions:

celeb spotting. watching old episodes of the OC. baking the perfect vegan orange cake. planning an anniversary dinner to share with le boy.

3 comments:

  1. Any attempt to clean up our eating is a good one; it sounds like you had some wonderful eats in there - that tumeric eggplant looks absolutely killer! Yoga is definitely a little addicting!

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  2. thanks! the eggplant was especially lovely and simple - i just allowed it to cook low and slow with some red onions and a tomato. seasoned with turmeric. spinach thrown in to wilt at the end. so delicious.

    i really love your blog and your style of writing! your story is really impressive. while my struggle with food was never as 'obvious' perhaps as yours, there are many parallels and i appreciate your solidarity.

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  3. e,

    that butternut squash and apple looks delicious. is that a dusting of cinnamon on top? i wonder when the outdoor markets will begin carrying squash here...

    you inspire me to prioritize yoga as an every-day practice. i sometimes forget how indulgent it is.

    always,

    h

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