Change and Derby

“Life is change; it is continuous change. Nothing is constant.” – Daisaku Ikeda



“The only thing that stays the same is change.” – Melissa Etheridge (song is “Change”)



These two thoughts always strike a chord in me.  I am a person that constantly craves change, although I find that I don’t always prepare myself enough to fully value the change and reap the most benefits. Change is hard. We have all said that and heard it. Change can be renewing. Change can come in many forms: sad, exciting, anxious, nervous, unsettling,…but it is always transformative. And it is the one constant in our lives.



We all know we will pass away some day. That is a given. Sorry, you aren’t the immortal you thought you were! I know we have all wished for that at one point in our lives, or thought we were. There are not many other constants we live by, save that every 24 hours a new day begins and the sun and moon orbit the earth. We also know that the seasons will change. Everything else is up for grabs!



When it comes to our daily lives, the change element is much more impactful. We are constantly given opportunities to learn and grow from mistakes. We are always making decisions about how we will live our life that day. Some of us are list makers and planners, others fly by the seat of our pants people. We choose to proceed one way and on one path, but life often derails us. I have certainly seen my share of derailments, as have we all. Some of us more than others. The true test of character and resiliency is what we do with the opportunities that come our way and what change we allow to sink into our moral fiber and existence.



I believe that we create the change we want. I believe that we create the resulting effects on our lives by past actions. I also believe that if we desire something, that our thoughts can manifest that in our lives. We have the choice to create much of our own destiny. Weight Watchers is a great example of this philosophy. During my tenure as a leader, I saw many people come and sit in meetings, talking about the program and their lives on program. Many of these members never hit goal, lifetime, or anywhere close to that on their journey. It always saddened me when I saw members week after week paying their dues but not getting anywhere on the scale. But, I finally realized one day that this was their path and that is where they were supposed to be. Who was I to judge their journey? The goal of WW is to hit Lifetime, lose your weight, maintain it for 6 weeks and then you never pay as long as you are at goal. You only have to weigh in once a month. Pretty cool and a great reward for ones efforts! Many members I saw were lifers, but would never hit lifetime. That was what was so sad. I had to come to the realization that the time wasn’t right for the weight to come off but by them being there, they were learning the tools they needed for when it was right. The change was happening in their minds and heart and beliefs, it just hadn’t come to fruition yet.



This realization hit me in 2009. I was my former members that had saddened me so. I was nearly back to my heaviest weight ever, just shy by 6 pounds. I was miserable. I was eating crap and I felt like crap. I was working at a health food store and gaining weight. What the heck? There were too many “healthy” snacks, a lack of desire to count points or eat core foods, and to step on a scale. I had “taught” weight loss enough that I was tired of WW. But, I also hit my rock bottom. It was Labor Day weekend of last year that I realized just how miserable I was. I was laid up from the foot and leg surgery and house-sitting for my parents while they were on vacation to my favorite place in the world, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This is the one place that recharges me for the coming year. I was so sad that I couldn’t put any weight on my leg, that I was in pain, that I couldn’t be where I wanted to be, and that I had let myself get back to where I said I would never be weight-wise. All this time up the scale, I still hung around the WW message boards, I just never talked about my food or diet. I didn’t update my stats. I lied, in essence, to the people I knew there. Bottom line, I felt like crap.



I decided that weekend would be my last that way. While I have no idea what life will be like in the future, I knew that then and there I had to make changes. I stepped on the scale once I was healed and out of the cast, October 1, 2009. 240.5. Ouch! But, it was what it was. I started counting calories on the Daily Plate as I wasn’t ready to go back to WW. I finally realized after losing and gaining (not gaining it all back but teetering enough) that I needed WW again. It works and I know it does. So, 3/10/10 I started. I made a pact with myself that I would be down 30 pounds by 10/10/10, just sounded too good to be true. 7 months was enough time. I started WW about 8 pounds less than my 10/1 weight. I have now hit 16.8 since 3/10. So, I am down 24.7 pounds. I know I can hit 30! My reward, a yoga weekend at Cityoga with Kate Potter, creator of Namaste Yoga which has been a true blessing to me. I won’t attend the whole weekend, but you better believe I will be there for a class or two. And the studio is owned by a WW leader.



The change happens when we are ready for it. Even when we don’t think we are ready, it is happening in us. It may not manifest itself outwardly for some time, but when it does, watch out!!!!!!!! I knew that this time I had to look at my weight loss differently. I didn’t do the things mentally I needed to do in 2004 when I lost the 85 pounds. I wasn’t ready to be a 10 (size that is) and to receive all the attention that brought into my life. I was uncomfortable with that change. So, this time I am approaching this as I should for it to last, a lifestyle change. I am approaching this on many levels. I never exercised before and now I am getting a variety of activities in and loving it. My body even craves it now! Who knew that would happen?



I discovered the roller derby last fall with the help of another WW leader. I have decided that I will be a derby girl and it will be soon. I even attempted tryouts but realized very quickly I must change my body and my activity to be able to handle this rigorous sport. Since I desire this so much, I am taking the steps, at a pace that is comfortable for me, to get there. I want this, and because of this new world that has opened up to me, I am finally seeing the psychic shift I needed to allow my longtime dreams to manifest in my life. Because of this, and my desire to lose my weight slower, I am changing. It is palpable change as well as psychic. I can see the outer rewards and feel the inner physical rewards. I am more energetic and strong. I am smaller in my circumference. But the amazing things that are happening are not seen when I am glanced upon. I am so much happier with who I am. I am loving myself more than I ever have before. I am open to compliments and accepting that they are true. Believe it or not, when people compliment you they really do mean it! It’s the truth. So say thank you and zip your lips!



I recently finished Going in Circles by Pamela Ribon. She is an LA Derby girl that wrote a fictional story of a woman going through a break in her marriage and finding roller derby. While it was a bit cliché, okay very cliché, she discovered that the roller derby was the saving grace in her life. Even though I am not out there skating on a team, YET, I believe this is one hundred percent true in my life. I am learning so much about myself. It is truly helping me to get in the best physical shape I have EVER been in my whole life. And it teaches you that if you work hard enough, whatever you worked to get will come and your life will be the better. Sure, you get beat up and bruised along the way, but the reward is worth it!



Are you happy where you are? If you aren’t, what can you do to be happy? Decide to accept the constancy of change, embrace it and don’t fight it, and work hard enough to get banged up along the way. Transform yourself! No one else will or can! The journey is so worth it!



Derby kisses,

Meg (soon to be Fresh Meat)

meggysue90@hotmail.com

HUGE NEWS!

I am trying out for the Roller Derby this month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Workshops start next week with tryouts on the 23rd!  I am so freakin' excited, nervous, scared, and excited!  Oops, I said excited twice.  Well, I am that much!

Awe!!!!!!!!!!!

This is totally off topic, but I just had to share the latest picture of the 4 adorable kittens my stray kitty had.  They are only 4 days old and look how cute they are already.

One with his paw over the others shoulder, and 2 curled up into each others bellies.  So adorable!  And can I just say how it looks like momma had triplets plus one? 

I have not named them and am trying to keep my distance and not cuddle too much so as to not get too attached.  Someone please adopt that black and white one.  I am getting too attached to him!  I want to be able to see him as he grows up!

Check out this steal of a deal!

OKay, I am not a size 12 yet, but I will be soon enough.  I have gone from an 18/20 to a 16 in a month and a half.  Plus, with my new gym membership and motivation to get in shape to be a roller derby girl, it will be soon enough!    This is a great work into dress.  My sister is even motivated to work down to it as well, and I rarely see her in a dress.  Originally $129, marked down to $79.99, final price $5.34 with tax.  Yep, you read that right.  It was on sale for $4.99!  Gotta love good bargains!

I lost .8 this week.  I had the most tasty and enjoyable weekend.  My meal Saturday night may have kept me from losing more, but I lost and I enjoyed every bite!  I went to see the Indigo Girls in Bloomington, IN, and I ate at Roots before.  Roots is a wonderful local foods vegan/vegetarian restaurant.  It was so freeing to walk into a restaurant where I knew I could order anything I wanted and didn't have to pick from a few limited items with modifications.  My friend and I split the appetizer sampler platter which was all fried foods.  The breaded and fried seitan was awesome, as were the sauces that came with the appetizer platter.  We left food on it. 

Dinner was polenta with local farmer's cheese and homemade chunky marinara.  My friend ordered the Tofu in Peanut Sauce.  We got extra plates and shared the deliciousness.  OMG!  So delish!  She ordered the curried sweet potato soup that was amazing as well.  I sipped an ABC, Apple, Beet, Carrot juice.  The only regret, I would have ordered ginger in my juice.  Other than that, I have no regrets about this meal!  Well, that and I didn't have enough points of stomach space to eat more.  You know, the amazing thing was I wasn't stuffed.  I would say I was full, but we walked to the concert around the corner and I wasn't uncomfortable at all.  I was even hungry after singing and dancing to the Girls!  So, by leaving food, not cleaning my plate, getting some activity, and indulging appropriately, I lost weight!

I am .3 pounds from my first 5% goal.  Whatdya think?  Will my post next week say I did?  I think so!

If you are in the Indianapolis area, check out Livrite Fitness.  I just joined this week and I am loving it.  It is $1 to join right now and you get a free month for a friend.  Pool, sauna, cardio equipment, classes...I will be at basic yoga Mon and Wed nights whenever I can.  I was given a great rate and I am glad I made the decision to join.  The first night, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical.  I was drenched.  Last night, I was only able to do 15 but I didn't give up.  I did another 15 on the recumbent bike.  I have said for years, I have arthritis in my knees.  I can't do bikes.  My knees never hurt and don't today.  My muscles are awake and alive and it feels good.

I also welcomed new life into mine.  My stray kitty had her babies!  They are sooooooo cute.  4 little ones came into this world yesterday.  Here they are.  And they are looking for homes in about 6-8 weeks!

Have a great week and remember, Sprout something (seeds or seeds of change)!

Happy Earth Day!!!!!! A little scattered today...

Yippee! I lost another 1.2 pounds, for a total of 10.4 in 6 weeks!

I increased my activity and did more yard work this week. Sadly, my yoga routine has suffered slightly this week. Monday I tried a yoga dvd from Netflix, and I didn’t like it. It was 45 minutes and it was hard, but I wasn’t impressed. Tuesday was the Crane episode of Namaste Yoga. I saw the description and said to myself, “Yeah right!” Last night was Weight Watchers night, so no yoga. I have been walking at lunch every day, sometimes only 15 minutes but it all adds up! I have cut our grass twice and my parent’s front yard (about half of a large yard). Today, 17 minutes walk at lunch, walk with a friend after work around a local park, and yoga at 6. I am even going to transplant a couple small Rose of Sharons tonight.




I have noticed 2 things today. I am in a foul mood. Lots of drivers were honking me off this morning. Hee hee, get it, honking me off! I kill myself. And my knees are sore. I know this is because I haven’t had my Namaste Yoga fix this week. I am not sore from walking, I am sore from not doing gentle, peaceful yoga moves. My knees and body need yoga. My mind and soul need yoga. I have been hungrier the last few days, and the urges have called to me more than in the past 6 weeks. I need yoga! So, looking at the Fit TV website, I am so happy to see this is the program airing tonight at 6 pm:

Earth


TV-G, CC






Earth series begins kneeling and continues with floor poses that are both gentle and invigorating. This series builds core strength and spinal flexibility and is a slow gentle sequence appropriate for all practitioners.



Ahhhhhhhhhh, sounds beautiful! After 2 walks and a few days absence this will feel amazing.



On another note, that stroganoff is kickass after a couple days! I was holding my little Ziploc container trying to get the last bite onto my spoon and it slipped out of my hand. I lost the last bite! I am heartbroken. I didn’t add any salt since I used the broth and canned soup. It could have used a little but the mushrooms were nice and soft and the taste was delicious! Try it! You will like it! Soooooo yummy. I love when I taste food, especially something I have created, and fall in love with it!



I watched Food, Inc. last night. It was heartbreaking. Parts of it I wish I had never seen, but it made me so happy for having been a vegetarian for 6 and a half years. In 5 days it will be 6.5 years exactly. Those poor animals, and workers that have to do such dastardly things. I was bawling, loudly, and heaving in certain parts, especially the Smithfield footage. Seeing this makes me grateful for all the animals I have saved, and the animals all my veggie friends have saved. May many more realize that factory farming is hideous and insidious. Please consider going more meatless if you aren’t veggie. Please remember that what you see in the store has a story and that story includes much pain and suffering.



Okay, off my soapbox now!



Off to track my lunch which included a delicious salad of homegrown lettuce picked last night and locally grown radishes! It was delicious! I want more.

If you are looking for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to join this summer, please consider Seldom Seen Farm (http://www.seldomseenfarm.com/). I am mailing my contract this week! You can pick up your produce at many locations, including the Broad Ripple Farmers Market.

Recipe and Roller Derby! - Corrected

Use 1 T Veggie Worcestershire Sauce in the soup/milk mixture!

I had a hankering for some fatty, unhealthy stroganoff.  The healthy me won out, and I settled for a light version.  Here is what I created last night.  It was pretty good.

Veggie Stroganoff

Heat 3 t canola oil over medium heat.  Add in half of a large onion, chopped.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add 1 bag Quorn "meat" crumbles and continue cooking.  While this is cooking, make 1 cube of un-chicken broth in boiling water and slice 6 medium mushroom caps into small chunks.  (You can use canned broth if you like, I just happen to have the cubed kind you rehydrate).  Add the mushroom to the pan, stirring into the crumbles and onions.  Add the broth a bit at a time to keep from sticking.  Let it simmer in a bit of the broth to help soften the mushrooms.  Add in 1 can of 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup (make sure its vegetarian), dried oregano and basil to taste, a dash of paprika for a little color, and 6 roasted garlic cloves smushed (or however many you prefer - you can saute fresh with the onions if you don't have roasted cloves available).  Add about one half cup light soymilk to the soup to thin.  Cook until bubbly and warm, and all ingredients are married.  Add a bit of freshly cracked black pepper and salt if needed.  To finish, blend in 1/4 light sour cream.

I had 3 servings as an end result, could very well be 4.  Heck, you could get 6 servings if not that hungry.  It would be good over pasta, but I didn't have the pernts available for that.  My count, 15 pernts for the whole recipe.  I didn't count the mushrooms and onions.   I ate it plain, as is, last night.  Today I had this over steamed green beans and it was reminiscent of Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole.  Sure, it looks a little anemic, but stroganoff is supposed to look that way!

Here is an old video of the Tornado Sirens of the Naptown Roller Girls, my new idols!  Enjoy!  Four Leaf Cleaver and Touretta Lynn, both shown in interviews, are extremely nice women.  I have had the pleasure of meeting and talking with both of them, both urging me try out.  Maybe in November.  It is definitely my motivation to work out and lose weight.  I will be a derby girl someday!  For now, I am happy to be a non-skating official.

http://www.wfyi.org/acrossIndiana/episodes.asp?season=-1949536321

Beet Salad

A couple beets got a little overcooked, but this was a delicious dinner. 

4 small beets, peeled, chopped in 8ths and roasted with salt and pepper in spray (I didn't use oil and so they were a little dry) - 400° until done.

Fresh lettuce from garden (green and red leaf) - rinsed and torn

Fresh pea shoots from windowsill, chopped

Sargento cheese, nut, and dried craisins mix

Honey Mustard Dressing (or your dressing of choice)

SO YUMMY AND DIVINE!