On The 12 days of Vacation…Charles Barkley Said To Me…

Women in San Antonio are way
too big!
  Anyone who watches the NBA
knows that former player Charles Barkley likes to stir things up!  He recently riled our population by insulting
the Riverwalk, the Alamo, and the local women. 
In fact, he went so far as to say that we cannot support Victoria
Secret stores, because our women need the big girl panties! “Oh they big,” he said.  Well, I actually agree with him (not his rude methods, but his observations)…we do have a
lot of really big women and I am one of them! 
Why here? Probably fantastic Mexican food (can you say LARD) and lack of
exercise… most Texans prefer to drive everywhere! But he needs to stay away from insulting out beautiful and inspirational downtown.  Anyway, look out Oklahoma City… Sir Charles is after you as well!

But, I am on a mission to not be
one of the big girls of SA.  I do not
want to diet or count calories or write down everything I eat.  I just want to learn healthy eating and make
it a part of my every day life.  I know
that sugar is my number one enemy…so I am out to take it down. 

Harley Pasternak

 Actually, in the last year, I learned more
from the ABC TV show, The Revolution…(which I DVR and try to watch after work) than anywhere else.  Harley Pasternak,
celebrity trainer, has taught me things about exercise and food that I am now
ready to apply.  You can click on the
show link to watch episodes and even get recipes.  My smoothie recipes come from Harley and I am
having one every morning.  He also has me
hooked on Greek yogurt! (Bad decision, ABC, to cancel this show!)

I change out the frozen fruit for variety!

Today, I headed out to my neighborhood
health food store, Sprouts!  After the
revealing triglyceride-talk, I knew I needed a good Omega-3 supplement.  I learned from the store manager that if your
triglycerides are high, look for an Omega-3 
with the highest EPA.  Yes, as
with everything, we have to read the labels of the different supplements and
compare the EPA and DHA levels.  He also told
me I should take one supplement in the morning and one in the afternoon.

I made certain that I also came
home with kale and chia seeds to increase the food value of salads and veggie
dishes.   The one mistake I made was that
I grabbed a jar of natural peanut butter, low in sugar, and did not read the
label.  Sure enough, it has hydrogenated
oils in it.  So, I have replaced it with
walnuts.  I love peanut butter, but for
now I want to live without it and add in in small portions later.
Here is my plan for twelve days to
develop some healthy habits:
1.      
Eat lots of color every day…fresh veggies and
fruits!!
2.      
Avoid processed foods and sugar as if they are
poison!
3.      
Eat several smaller meals and not three big
ones.
4.      
Protein is my friend….make sure to add Greek
yogurt and quinoa whenever possible.  Add
Chia and ground flaxseeds to just about everything.  I even threw flaxseeds in my smoothie.   SALMON…more often!  Lean meats are good!
5.      
Have a plan if I know I am eating out or eating
at work.
6.      
Look for foods high in Vitamin D, like
mushrooms.  I am also Vitamin D deficient…part
of my plan is to go outside at least 15 minutes a day.  I am taking a supplement, but would like to
increase this without one!
7.      
Drink LOTS of water!  Make sure I drink cold water when I first get
out of bed.
8.      
Try new recipes, so I do not get bored with what
I am doing.
9.      
Dairy is good in controlled, low fat
situations.  I need it for my bones and
the onset of osteoporosis. 
10.  
If I eat any bread, it must be of the Sprouted
Grain and Seed Variety.


This dish was awesome: olive oil, chopped onion, minced garlic, red bell pepper strips, mushrooms,
fresh spinach leaves, fresh kale, tomatoes, chia seeds, pre-made quinoa.


This is not a diet…it is a lifestyle change!  I have a lunch date on Friday….I will let you
know how it goes! Also, I want to thank every single one of you for the
encouragement and suggestions.  This
audience is the best!
TA DA….THE OFFICIAL WINNER OF THE eshakti giveaway is …..REVA!!  I guess all she did for extra entries paid
off!!  I reached in to the middle of the pile and grabbed her name!  Enjoy your fabulous win,
Reva!


Happy Friday to all!!

Just a note:  The second
day of exercising was really hard!  My
body aches…I am fatigued…but I DID IT!  I
know at some point the hardest part will stop! 
ONE DAY AT A TIME!

14 Comments

  1. yIPEE!
    Thanks Pam!
    I AM SO EXCITED!
    thic couldn't have came at a better time!
    (i've outgrown all my summer things!)
    YaY!!!
    Reva

  2. good luck Pam!
    a great magazine worth purchasing is clean eating
    it is a bi-monthly i think
    great recipes and tips etc
    after a couple months off the wagon, i am back on as well
    crazy how fast "junk" food catches up with you.
    brett

  3. Good luck with your goals, Pam. I have faith in your ability to accomplish whatever you set out to do. As for Sir Charles (eyeroll)…. I've been a fan since way back (kind of a guilty pleasure), but he is not exactly known for his diplomacy. Perhaps these particular comments are best forgotten.

  4. The BEST running location is San Antonio is along the Riverwalk. I start by Brackenridge golf course, under 281 and continue past the Lock & Dam to the Missions. If you haven't been on this area of the Riverwalk, YOU MUST GO!.

    Plenty of runners are out there in this awful heat hitting the cement in preparation to the Rock N Roll marathon. It's gorgeous.

    Donation-Can.com

  5. Pam, your dedication and enthusiasm is inspiring! I've been adding a bit of the exact same flaxeed meal to our morning fruit-and-plain-yogurt breakfast. Can't hurt, eh?

  6. My husband and I visited San Antonio a few years back and it is beautiful. We stayed in the historic hotel across from the Alamo. We thought the River Walk was gorgeous and full of interesting places. The Chihuly fixture hanging in the Library is breathtaking. Everything about our visit was magical. We also went to Austin and were very impressed. We have not been to Houston or Dallas, but I am sure they are great cities as well. Texans are friendly and fun.

    Obesity is a problem in this country. I believe it is our number one health problem as it spawns so many other health issues in its wake. France has a problem with smoking and other countries have problems with alcohol abuse, but the U.S. has a problem with obesity.

  7. Lots of delicious and healthy foods you've shown us here!
    Not to get all preachy, but I think that if people focus more on feeling good and improving their health, as you are doing, and less on reaching some preconceived goal weight, they would have much more success. You already look like a healthy, well-proportioned woman, but if you do in fact have health issues then it makes sense to take any measures you can to make youself well.
    Good for you, and we'll all be cheering you on!

  8. I am so proud of you- you're inspiring me to get out there and lose the weight (and inches) I'm so unhappy about. Happy weekend, doll!

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