I am so happy to report that I have been 100% compliant to bennies and neutrals for over a week now, and I feel darn good! I have also been diligent about taking my daily vitamin, Vitamin C, and Folic Acid…and I am supercharged for spring. If only the northeast weather would cooperate!!

Hubby and I have been packing lunches through mid-week on Sunday nights, and it helps so much. We are generally flat out during the week (me with three nights a week teaching classes at the Y after having already taught all day), so we’ve looked for easy ways to keep nutritious food around. One strategy is cooking a small turkey breast over the weekend for protein during the week. A second strategy is measuring out steel-cut cooked oatmeal with yogurt for breakfast; all we have to do in the morning is chop an apple or melon into the mix. A third, very helpful strategy, has been to chop up veggies for a stir-fry ahead of time so that the night of, whoever’s home can just toss them in the wok, add some tofu, and voila! Meal’s ready in fifteen minutes! We also spin our lettuce and leave it in the fridge separate from the chopped cukes, tomatoes, onions and celery. When we make a lunch or dinner salad, everything is there ready to go. I’ve also taken to having an afternoon snack of apple and an ounce of walnuts every day. This has bridged the calorie gap with the added two nights of classes a week.

And speaking of exercise…I have been cherishing my morning walks (a mile or more a day) despite the persnickety weather. The songbirds are back and in full voice, and everything else is still, poised for the coming day. It’s a perfect time for me to walk because I can engage in thoughtful reflection/contemplation about the day past and coming. Also, swimming before teaching Tai Chi has been great, and my body is so happy. I’ve experienced elevated mood and energy levels, and am just so motivated to get living! The only thing that I’d like to add is one or two days a week of weights. I don’t want to do anything to heavy and crazy, but there’s not a lot of resistance benefiting bone strength with everything that I do in the water, so I’d like to add just a bit for the ole bones…

Here’s hoping that this blog finds you well, sane, safe, and content. Take care and go gently…