Stomach, stomach, stomach!

30 days of gluten free and 22 classes of sweating!

I woke up way too early, and ate half of a Lara Bar and drank an Emergen-C, in an attempt to hold me over for my 8am class! I was pleasantly surprised to see Gianna standing on that podium! She sure knows how to make yoga fun especially when I still have sleep in my body!  I tried a different spot in the room than usual because everyone says the spot by the podium is the hottest and that's typically where I put myself.  It is hard to judge if that is true or not because the room was not nearly as crowded as usual!  Every day, I hear the phrase "Stomach, stomach, stomach!" or "Suck that stomach in!" or "Pull your belly button back to your spine!" and each class I try to make it my mission to keep my stomach muscles engaged, but boy, is that hard to do for 90 minutes STRAIGHT! However, I am definitely feeling that my postures are getting stronger and better each day!

Thankfully, Sarah ended up coming home for a hour this morning and walked in the door at the perfect time. I was racing around the house trying to get ready for work, so she scrambled up some eggs and toasted some Udi's for me! I also enjoyed a coconut water with my breakfast. I have tried several different ones over these past couple of weeks and I have to say that my favorite one is called Coconut Juice by Amy and Brian...check it out! I had a Zico coconut water today and I was wishing it was the Coconut Juice by Amy and Brian!! (I was so excited when Sarah came home with four of them today :) :)!!)

My lunch and snack consisted of the chicken from last night and some more roasted bell peppers, and I enjoyed my hummus during the afternoon with the bell peppers and those tasty Wasa-like crisp breads! One of my co-workers commented that she wanted to eat gluten free because she loves all of the food and snacks I bring in!

It was kind of weird not going to yoga after work but it was nice to come home and start cooking WITH Sarah :-) We made one of my family's favorite dishes: Parmesan Carbonara! This became a fast favorite of Sarah's a couple of years ago, so I know she will fit well into my family ;-) We made two different batches of it so that I could have mine with gluten free noodles! I am still not finding these quinoa noodles everyone keeps suggesting.  Tonight, I used Schir's noodles but I look forward to trying it with those quinoa noodles, especially since a patient's mom told me she almost prefers them over regular noodles!

And for our vegetable, we had wine ;-) It's purpleish. Like eggplant!

I am looking forward to finding some tasty and easy gluten free recipes using my present from the Parkers! Thanks so much LeAn, Tom and Hayden!!

Since I am going to attempt a double tomorrow (I need to make up those two classes that I decided to skip! ), I am going to go snuggle in bed with my new book and try to get mentally prepared for THREE HOURS of Bikram! Way to start off February!!

This quote couldn't be more appropriate for the end of this month of the 60 day challenge:

"Yoga re-energizes, reorganizes and revitalizes."  

- Bishnu Charan Ghosh

Thank goodness!!

English Bulldog Determination and Bengal Tiger Strength!

29 days of eating the right way and 21 days of sweating it out!

I tried the same smoothie from yesterday but today I used a fresh banana, almond butter, and added some coffee.  It was a little bit different than yesterday's smoothie but still a nice way to get some healthy things inside your body along with with the caffeine :-)

My lunch was the leftovers from yesterday but unfortunately the sushi rice did not hold very well from last night so I was still needing some food to hold me over! I decided to roast some red and yellow bell peppers and make hummus!

I may or may not have put too much garlic in there but it's still super tasty, and those roasted bell peppers were to die for! I put some hummus and bell peppers on a Schir crisp bread and I must say, it was a perfect snack!

Mardy was teaching with her bling on to represent the Beverly Heels! It was a packed and humid class, so much that Mardy even turned the humidity down, which never happens ;-) I met two new people that I see pretty frequently in the same area.  One of the ladies drives all the way from San Marcos, which is at least a 30 minute drive without traffic.  Talk about determination!  Mardy talked a lot about using  your English Bulldog determination and your Bengal Tiger strength to get through some of those tough postures! She was quite witty tonight and several times it made me laugh out loud and have to rush to get into the posture on time :-) There are a lot of postures that require you to lift your chest up, and to help with that task, Mardy gave us the suggestion of imagining you were trying to give the mirror a chest bump! Great visualization that helped and made me smile! Whenever you can get a smile in that hot room, take it! Hold onto it!

For dinner, Sarah roasted some chicken with this tasty garlic seasoning mix! You'd think with all of this garlic today that I was trying to fend off bad omens (or whatever garlic is good for)! I know that during my class today, all I could smell/taste was all of the garlic from my hummus! Thank goodness we only breathe in and out of our nose so that no one had to smell it but me!

Okay time to get into bed since I am doing the 8am class tomorrow!

1/3 of the way there!

Day 28 of eating good-for-you food! AND MY TWENTIETH BIKRAM CLASS!!

So, I tried to make it to the 8am and the 10am classes this morning, but there is just something about laying in bed and hearing the birds chirp that make it so enjoyable to snuggle with the pup and your person! Instead we hung up our bird feeder and put out the bird bath!

Sarah and I came up with a new smoothie today! I want to give it the name of "monkey business!'  It had a frozen banana (thanks to Amelia's suggestion!), a scoop of chocolate whey protein, fresh blueberries, peanut butter and a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk! Holy Moly! Talk about tastiness in your mouth! Dairy Queen, you better watch out because this smoothie was way more refreshing and healthier than your blizzards!  I tried the Lemon Bar by Lara Bar before class, and I'm not such a fan of that one.  Not because it wasn't flavorful but it was just dates and nuts with lemon juice in it.  It was much more a texture issue than anything for me! I would have rather had those same things in a trail mix than mashed into a bar! Sorry, Lara!

I fall more and more in love with the Pure Bikram people as each day goes by! The 12pm class was a full one today but I got an awesome spot so I was pleased with it! Gianna asked me at the start of the class why Lisa calls me "polar bear" and for the remainder of the class that is what she called me! It still makes me smile and gives me the encouragement and strength to complete all 26 postures! My left calf was still bothering me and kept me from doing several parts of the postures that involve the left leg.  Last night, Sarah and I had a couple's massage (Thanks to PFL!!!) and I told the lady about my injury.  She focused half of the massage on hitting all of the trigger points and, boy, did I want to let out a yelp a couple of times! It's still tender but hopefully by not trying to push it during class, it will get better sooner than later! Gianna gave me several good tips, per usual, during class today and I finally figured out the motor planning for Standing Separate Leg Head Pose so I am looking forward to improving that posture! It's just so amazing to see how much progress I have made in 20 classes! I am sure there will be even more growth in the next 2/3's of this challenge!

After class, I treated myself to an epsom salt bath and read some of Jane Lynch's Happy Accidents.  It's a great and funny read! Thankful to Sarah's sister, Rachel, for getting it for me!  I am really enjoying these baths and I think I will make sure I get one a week to reward myself :-) I had such a tasty salad for lunch! I find myself wanting to lick the bowl because that Sassy dressing is so delicious!

I started my work study position today at the studio so I went back to the hot room, but this time in normal clothes! It was a neat experience to see how everything operates from the other side! People are still friendly even when you are cleaning! And surprisingly, the studio is cleaned so frequently that it's not really a hard job! The only challenging thing about it was trying to get it all done in a short amount of time on my first day!

We met up with a friend for dinner at this place called Zen that is supposed to be "Japanese fast food."  They have a whole menu dedicated to their gluten free options and had at LEAST six sauces that are gluten free! What a pleasant surprise! They also use local ingredients and the meat is from farms nearby! So neat :-) I got a salmon stir-fry bowl with their miso sauce (YUMMY!) and it had the best vegetables (squash, carrots, broccoli, edamame, and onion) in it!  I also got a veggie roll with avocado, carrot and cucumber! Can't wait for lunch tomorrow! I splurged on a soda for dinner because I had at least 4 Nalgenes and coconut water today!

Okay that is all for this busy day! I need to get some rest so I can have energy to complete the next 40 days of the challenge! This was the quote for our challenge inspiration today and I found it very appropriate and encouraging!

"You must keep your body healthy, your temple pure--if you're sick or you die, how are you going to fulfill your destiny and experience the joy and well-being you deserve?  Your body knows how to heal itself, and when you practice your Bikram Yoga, you will experience optimum, radiant health for the first time."  

 

- Bikram Choudhury

Beer-tation

Day 26 of not eating gluten and, unfortunately, no yoga today...

This week has flown by and I feel like I never really slowed down...hence the no yoga today.  I came home from work and had about a hour before class and I could not find the mental or physical energy to rush around and get myself into the hot room.  I really just needed a few hours where there was no RUSHING.  I know that may come as a surprise to many since I am typically a go-go-go kind of person but every once in a while us doers need to press "stop" immediately.  That's what tonight was all about.  Yes, now I have to do two doubles but I am kind of looking forward to that challenge, and this relaxing evening was exactly what I needed! Sarah and I went to Hop Doddy because I was craving a burger and I knew they had gluten free buns.  Tonight was the first time I've been tempted by a gluten-filled beer--they have all of those local tasty ones on tap! It was pretty torturous not to be able to indulge in one of my favorite local heffes!  I was grateful that they use Bona Dea buns for their burgers, but my mouth was watering over Sarah's gluten-heavy bun! Check out Bona Dea, though, because they are doing a Kickstarter project and have great reasons and a meaningful purpose!

We finished off the night watching "Friends with Benefits" while drinking Bedtime tea to try and help with this sore throat I am feeling.  Oh, the joys of working with snotty and coughing kids!

My quote: "When you are in tune with the unknown, the known is peaceful."

I've been grateful to have this relaxing evening to recharge! Maybe my yoga practice has given me some insight into finding relaxation, and allowing myself to enjoy it fully! Feeling more ready than ever to hit that hot room tomorrow!

Minor improvements!

My 18th sweaty class and my 25th day of eating the right way :-)

I did not want to get out of bed this morning! There is just something about a down comforter blanket and having a pup snuggled up with you that makes you never want to leave! At least I had yummy breakfast to get out of bed for!  One of my smoothies and gf waffles from Nature's Path! Check out the wild berry flavor and add a little agave -- it's divine!

I struggled to drink water today...I would drink half of my water bottle and then I would add "fresh" cold water to it to convince myself it would quench my thirst! I was getting a little nervous as 5:30 was quickly approaching! At lunch, I went to People's Pharmacy and picked up some freshly made gluten free food- a stuffed tomato with tuna salad and some salad-like vegetables! Since I wanted something crunchy, I had a handful of these Food Should Taste Good White Cheddar chips! Three of my co-workers walked by my office and thoroughly enjoyed them! One of my co-workers even said that she always looks forward to what I bring for lunch! Also I got a cup of organic chicken noodle soup that was so tasty! If you buy soup, you get a free piece of gf corn bread and it was so moist! I want to figure out the recipe so that next time we make red beans and rice, I can have corn bread!  I know it seems silly because it's called CORN bread but yes, it can have gluten in it!

My afternoon snack consisted of that tasty nectarine that Sarah picked up for me and half of a Lara Bar! I love fresh fruit :) Today's flavor was apple pie and it's so yummy! I can just close my eyes and imagine it's my dad's brown bag apple pie! Okay, maybe it's not that good but it gets the job done!

I love walking into the studio and seeing happy people, especially since I was kind of in a pissy mood thanks to Maya getting into my birthday present from my oma and opa! She ate some hummingbird food mixture and bird seed! Thankfully she hasn't seemed sick from it! Okay, back to yoga (sorry for the tangent)! It makes me smile seeing familiar faces walking into that hot room! Radio did her first double today and I am so proud of her! She was so chipper after class, whereas, I felt like I was going to fall over if I didn't hold onto something! Gianna worked me hard tonight, but all for the better! She spoke about how she could see that we were all making minor improvements to our bodies! It really brought home a good point to mediate on...just because I may not be able to do X posture all the way or I may still have X amount of weight to get rid of, the most important things are all of the little accomplishments along the way! For example, my leg felt really strong during standing bow tonight! If only my mind had left me alone, I could have stayed there for the entire posture! Soon :-) I think that's what is going to give me peace this evening--that I am making these tiny changes to my body, my mind and my practice!  If I did not mediate, concentrate, and show determination, I would be too blinded by all of the mental bullshit to notice these things! I am so grateful for the mental component I get from this yoga, just as much as the physical aspect! Sometimes I am more grateful for the mental part, especially on days like today when I walked in there with the wrong attitude! That bad attitude checked out of the class after several postures, when Gianna called me out for not attending to the posture! Thank you for that, Gianna :-) My practice tonight was a great challenge! Can't wait to get in there tomorrow for number NINETEEN!

I am loving this grill that my dad got us, and I am loving that Sarah likes to cook :-) even after she went to a work happy hour! My gratitude will never be expressed enough for her help! She made grilled BBQ chicken and brussels sprouts along with the last of that rosemary garlic bread! It's funny because last night on Top Chef, the challenge was to cook something healthy and one of the chefs said adding fresh herbs helps add flavor without adding calories.  Try it! It's so true! You can flavor your brussel sprouts with as much basil or oregano as you want! Just be mindful of those basting oils and mixes that have salt/sodium in them! Don't go crazy on those! I treated myself to a Hansen cane soda tonight after I gulped down two nalgenes of water and a coconut water!

Time to go snuggle in that blanket of mine! Can't believe this week is almost over! Seems like just yesterday I was starting my third week of this 60 day challenge!

Let this quote leave you with encouragement, as I know I have needed it these last several days, since I feel like my energy bank needs to be replenished!

"Nothing is impossible, 

the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"
 

- Audrey Hepburn

How much does air weigh?

Day 17 of torturing my muscles (in a good way!) and day 24 of soothing my insides!

Last night around 2:15 a.m. (2:22, according to Sarah, who looked at her phone), a vicious storm swept through Austin and disturbed my sleep! For those of you who don't me, there's one important thing to keep in mind during storm season. I am a scaredy cat when it comes to thunder and lightning! I had to wake up poor Sarah to calm me down several times (due to the local cable channel's well-intentioned warnings about tornadoes!). Needless to say, the amount of sleep I got was not sufficient for my day! I just wanted to snuggle with a majority of my kiddos and hope that they just started talking on their own! Good thing a bunch of them have Autism and need the deep pressure! Sarah pushed me out of the door with freshly made scrambled eggs, rosemary garlic toast and coffee!

Thankfully I found out early on in the day that my last kiddo was actually coming over lunch, so I could begin hydrating quickly! I made the most amazing salad for lunch, and again my coworkers were so jealous. There's something about avocados that makes everything you put them on delightful! Leftover pasta made everyone in the room wishing that they didn't have fast food for lunch! My mid-day snack was another Lara bar--this time the blueberry muffin. For the record, it was tasty, but the peanut butter and jelly is still better!

There is something about a 5:30 yoga class. If you want to get your ass kicked, then make into the hot room at that time! If you want a leisurely workout, do not enter, do not pass go, do not collect 90 minutes in a hot room! Just like last night, it was packed to the seams, with every mat touching on all four sides! I think I swung sweat on my neighbor 10 times! She didn't really appreciate it ;-) I swear Tyler must be a member of Cut Copy or moonlights as a radio DJ! Something about his voice and his arm movements just make you smile! Tyler's sweeping hand gestures with every direction help you get the visual you need to push yourself further in a posture, or full your lungs even more with hot, humid, sweaty air. During the floor series, it felt like the air weighed 20 lbs and it took every ounce of energy and then some to leave my savasana! That humid air just lays on you and teams up with that "mind monkey" and tells you to stay on your mat! It says you're not strong enough to complete that "double jerk" (i.e. a Bikram sit-up). I almost allowed that monkey to just lay there and appreciate the toasty nap I was about to receive. But then, Tyler with his radio voice and his sweepy hands, guided my lazy self off that mat! After I crawled out of the hot room (or at least I felt like I did), I rewarded myself with a trip to Whole Foods--courtesy of Caren and her awesome birthday present! As I strolled through Whole Foods, I was slightly disappointed by the limited signage indicating gf food! They had plenty of labels yelling 'Vegan!'  and 'Vegetarian!' and 'Healthy!,' but when you're sweaty, exhausted, and starving, it's not the most fun thing to peer through every label to see if the item contains wheat. My teriyaki salmon bowl (sans the teriyaki, because apparently Whole Foods doesn't carry gf teriyaki sauce) was okay, but not delicious. I think the biggest challenge of my gf journey has been eating out, as so many sauces contain gluten. Why can't people learn how to make sauces sans gluten? If anyone knows, I would love to learn, as I'm beginning to get a bit bitter about it :-)

I wrapped up my evening watching Top Chef! Go Paul! Way to represent ATX! Afterwards, Sarah drew me the best epsom salt bath! It burned a little at first (I may have looked like a lobster for a minute) but my left calf is feeling much better than it did after tonight's standing series! That girl truly is the best cheerleader to have on my team as I go through this journey! I'm also so grateful to those of you who read this and give me hugs and encouragement at yoga, and discuss it with me at work! I am truly a blessed person!

Crossed fingers for no thunderstorms tonight! I need some sleep! Only 3 days til I'm one third of the way done!

The Polar Bear by Lisa

My 16th class and my 23rd day of gf eating!

I had scrambled eggs with my rosemary garlic toast for breakfast, and what a great combination it was! Didn't even need salt for my eggs! Maybe when Sarah's mom comes to visit, we can bake some bread and try to make our own rosemary garlic bread! I treated myself to some coffee this morning! It is still so smooth and flavorful! I can't believe that I don't need any sweetener to it! Nicely done, Chameleon Coffee!

I started drinking water pretty early on today and I am so grateful for that! My lunch was leftovers from yesterday and my co-workers were all drooling over it! They all agreed that adding oregano to sweet potatoes was going to be their new addition next time they make sweet potatoes!  For my snacks today, I scarfed down the rest of my farmer's market strawberries and a peanut butter and jelly Lara Bar! Try to pick up this one because it gives you that comfort of eating a childhood favorite but it's much better for you! There are only FOUR ingredients in this tasty treat and for those of you who don't know, ingredients are listed in order of the most abundant.  SO these bar have the ingredients listed as: dates, peanuts, unsweetened cherries and salt.  I had several of my co-workers try it so that you readers will believe me...they all enjoyed it! One even said she would eat it for breakfast!

I rushed into yoga, thanks to a parent being late to pick up their kid and people acting like they don't know how to drive in the rain!  It was the most packed room I have probably ever practiced in...I wouldn't be surprise if it reached the 70 person maximum because when I signed in, I was number 63! My mat was literally TOUCHING mats on all four sides! Luckily, I had Lisa to guide me through this crowded room for 90 minutes! I think tonight's class was one of most intense classes.  All of my muscles were worked and I was dripping buckets of sweat! This may be TMI but it's an interesting fact that goes along with my science mind.  Before I started eating gluten free, and pretty much dairy and alcohol free, my sweat had a certain strong taste to it, and this last week or so, my sweat has tasted like water! I am sure you are probably wondering why I know what my sweat tastes like, but it's absolutely impossible for it not to drip into your mouth at least once during that 90 minutes! Two weeks ago, Lisa and I practiced together, and we picked power animals to help us get through that class.  I am impressed that she remembered what my power animal was, but that is one of the reasons that practicing at Pure Bikram is so fantastic! These teachers really take time to learn our names and learn quirky things about us :-) During class, teachers will call you by name to give you encouragement, instruction, or just acknowledgement! Lisa gave me all of the above by calling out "Polar Bear!"  Almost instantaneously, a smile would break across my face, even if she was giving me corrections or noticing that I was not jumping back into the posture! Just that little identification as "Polar Bear" made my class such a strong one.  There was no muscle that was not quivering after class and it took at least 5 minutes after class for my breath and heart rate to return to almost normal! There is a girl who is doing the challenge that has started a clothing company Fauna Extreme that sells items that contain power animals. She described the polar bear like so:

60 straight days of Bikram yoga is a journey-a commitment you're taking on with the support of your fellow yogis, but it's also a solo mission-just you and your will to complete this journey.  And that element of the challenge is where the final animal athlete comes in--the polar bear--strongest swimmer on Earth.  She's capable of swimming nonstop for 60 miles-a distance signifying a fight for survival.  This courageous creature will inspire you to keep going, to believe in yourself.  And she'll sneak you some cold, arctic temps while you're in Bikram's torture chamber! 


I am so glad I chose it to be my power animal! Every time Lisa mentioned Polar Bear tonight, she helped remind me that I can do this challenge, and that I need to believe in myself! I can't wait to get back in the hot room tomorrow, Nora! 

Tonight's dinner was made possible by Sarah and our Vitamixer :-) Sarah made that pasta sauce again and it just gets better and better each time! It's amazing what fresh veggies can do! I tried a new pasta tonight thanks to that  Gluten Free Jubilee at Sprouts! It was Schar's spaghetti and some of the noodles stuck together, but I am not sure if it's because of the type of noodle or if it's just a thing that all gf noodles do! Regardless of the noodles sticking together, it was such a tasty and well appreciated home cooked meal!

Midday work out= more energy

Class number 15! And back to eating gluten free! So 22 days of eating without gluten!

I woke up this morning and realized that my work schedule had the possibility of allowing me to get into the hot room sooner rather than later! I made a smoothie and some of that rosemary garlic toast for breakfast! I wanted to make eggs, but unfortunately I was running a little on the slow side this morning.  That bed was just too cozy to leave!

I started drinking water pretty quickly knowing that I might be going to noon yoga! I raced into the hot room and Donna was teaching! I had a completely different spot in the room today and it was kind of refreshing to still enjoy my practice on the other side of the room! Donna gave me some great encouragement and corrections today!  I am feeling my hips open up more and my legs are getting stronger!  My triangle pose was pretty great today!  I raced home after class IN my sweaty clothes and now my car smells disgusting! I was prepared for the actual class, but not really leaving class...oh well! Just glad I got my practice finished early today!

For lunch, I had salmon, asparagus, and COCONUT WATER!! I wanted about three more coconut waters because it was so refreshing!  It's so interesting to feel your body literally NEED water.  I'm not typically a water chugger, but I couldn't help but chug water!

Sprouts is having their gluten-free Jubilee from now until Feb 1st, which means there are hundreds of gluten free items that are 25% off!! For some reason, gluten free items are pricer than products with gluten in it! So I stocked up on some pastas, crackers, pizza crusts, Lara bars, and some other random things!

We grilled up some chicken in that yummy gf honey bbq sauce! If you have never had roasted sweet potatoes with some EVOO and oregano, try it this week! You will not regret it! (Note: Sarah likes some salt and pepper in there, too). There is something about the combination of the oregano and sweet potatoes that just makes my mouth water! We also sauteed some haricot verts with garlic! I cannot wait to have my leftovers tomorrow :-)

We finished off our long day with a gf banana chocolate cupcake and some bedtime tea! I think we are both looking forward to an early bedtime after this fun weekend!

It's called a challenge for a reason...

So for those who read my blog daily, because it's so invigorating ;-), probably noticed there was no post last night! Sarah took me out for a night on the town with family and friends, and naturally, there was alcohol involved! I did not think writing a blog at 2:45 a.m. after a handful of drinks would make for a coherent blog!

Yesterday was the first day I skipped Bikram, which means there will be a double in the near future for me! Woo hoo! Caren said last night she would go do a double with me, but I am not sure if that was true, or if it was the alcohol speaking :-) After a long but fantastic evening of dancing, eating, drinking and more dancing, I crashed. Sarah treated me to brunch at South Congress Cafe to finish up my birthday celebration! To be honest, all of the things I wanted were not gluten free (you know what I mean if you've ever eaten there...so delicious). But since I have not had a "cheat" day in 22 days, I decided that crab cake eggs benedict was worth cheating for! Dr. Ulrey told me that this whole gluten free thing would be a science experiment. He encouraged me to try gluten every once in a while and see how I feel.  I decided today would be that day.  I mean, I was already feeling cruddy from too many adult beverages, so why not throw some gluten in there?! I must say that I did not go crazy with consuming gluten, just the crab cake that was lightly coated and a teeny tiny cornbread muffin!  It was such a delicious meal so I am feeling okay about my decision to cheat!  No one ever said it would be easy! I started chugging water pretty quickly this morning because I did not want to allow myself to skip two days without yoga...that would mean TWO doubles! And I don't have enough friends who are crazy enough to agree to a double!

I went to the new South studio since we were running errands in that area, and I was not terribly excited about going to yoga because I felt tired and hungover!  


*Side note: I made a potential friend this evening! We have shared space a couple time in the past and this afternoon, we happened to walk in at the same time! Come to find out, Natalie and I have a few things in common: bikram, soccer, and love for music! I look forward to hanging out with her during SXSW! She and her friends made a website dedicated to rating bands at festival: Hippo Honk

But Afton was teaching and I am a fan of her gentleness! Apparently Afton is the National Champion of 2011 USA Yoga Asana Championships! What an honor to have her guide me through 90 minutes of yoga!  During the breathing postures at the start of the class, I was not feeling it...I wanted to just stop and lay there! I even had a conversation with myself about laying down and enjoying the warmth radiating through my body! I mean, the challenge rules state you just have to stay in the room for the whole 90 minutes to consider it a complete class! But once we got through the first 5 postures, I was feeling pretty good! Next thing I know, we are done with the hardest postures of the standing series!  I felt like class just flew by and although I did not push myself to the brink, I still completed every posture and could tell I was reaping the benefits! Also I was sweating out all those cocktails!  I picked up a "Wonder Bar," which is no way is affiliated with Wonder Bread, ahem Kendra! :-)  These things are really good for you, and the one I picked up was the pumpkin seeds, sesame, and raisins! Can't wait to get some more of these! Speaking of bars--Sarah picked up some Lara Bars as part of my birthday present and the apple pie one is such a nice treat :-)  I also had some strawberries that were from the farmer's market yesterday and they are so juicy! I wanted to eat the whole pint but that might make me sick!

Sarah made such a great recovery meal to end this "cheat" weekend! Baked salmon with lemon and dill, roasted asparagus and some gluten free rosemary garlic bread from the farmer's market! I was so hungry and it was so tasty that I forgot to take a picture! Ah!

There were two things that Afton said during class that really reasonated with me during the class and are still sticking with me.  One: It's called a challenge for a reason.  It's not meant to be easy and there are going to be days when we beat ourselves up because we are not doing as "well" as we would like to.  But those not-so-good days make those good days, AMAZING days!  Two: So often we are looking for the progress that we have made and focusing so much on that aspect of things in life, that we do not focus on what we are doing in the now! I have to agree with her on that one! I have not been focusing on just making progress on my measurements and weight loss, but more on how I am feeling overall! I am feeling so great that regardless of what those numbers say, I am feeling the change internally!  And to end on a fantastic note, there actually has been some change in the measurements! In some areas, two WHOLE inches! Wowzers! I am beyond grateful that all of this hard work is paying off! Thanks again for all the support! Can't wait to make some tasty meals from this awesome cook book Natalie (not the one from yoga today) gave me for my birthday! 

Top 28 things of my 28th birthday!

Day 13 of Bikram and Day 20 of no gluten!

I cannot believe it's been that long since I have had gluten!

These are written more in a chronological order rather than a worthy order! Hands down best birthday yet, so I just want to show my gratitude and love tonight :-)

pre-waking up: a phone call at midnight from PFL :-)

1. Woke up BEFORE my alarm and felt ready for the day!
2. Had a tasty smoothie and toast!
3.  Arrived to work EARLY!
4.  A very intense mother that I have, who told me last week she did not think my treatment approach was going to work, complemented my suggestions to help her kid because he made so much progress in ONE WEEK! Thank you for trusting me lady! I have the degree, not you :-)
5.  Having a super easy evaluation with a great parent and kiddo!
6. Walking to Zpizza with Sarah and getting such a tasty gluten free pizza and cookie (and Mountain Dew! Shhh!)

7.  Seeing two of my favorite kiddos today and them singing "Happy birthday" to me!
8. My co-workers making me feel like the most important person today!
9.  A gorgeous orchid from Meg and the family!
10. A beautiful bouquet of lilies from my love!

11. A dozen of GLUTEN FREE banana chocolate cupcakes from Delish! Thanks to BFF! Which are 100 times better than Georgetown cupcakes and there is NO wait!

12. Getting a parking spot right in front of yoga
13. Kathy teaching the 530 class!
14.  Getting the perfect spot in the hot room :-)
15.  Having a room of 50+ yogis wishing you happy birthday!
16.  Attempting to smile during every posture, and Kathy helping me stick to my goal!
17.  An amazing class followed by coconut water!!
18.  Feeling proud of myself after a humid (55% humidity) and hot class!
19.  My dad ordering me an iPHONE!! can't wait until it comes in the mail!!!!!
20. My "purist" shirt and all of the goodies that came in my Pure Bikram tote bag
21. Getting birthday cards, calls, texts, and facebook wishes!
22. A bath bomb that I can't wait to use this week along with a Whole Foods gift card :-)
23. Getting our new couch!

24. An Amazon gift card to buy cds :-)
25. TICKETS TO GO SEE THE US WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM IN FEBRUARY!!

26.  A flight of 3 different Shiraz/Syrah at the Grove

27.  So much tasty gluten free food at the Grove: Shrimp and Tomato Bisque, Steak and Gouda Salad, and a Delish cupcake :-D

28.  Being alive and loving every aspect of my life!
and one to grow on:
29.  Marrying the most beautiful and amazing woman in October! If it wasn't for her, I don't think I would be as happy as I am!

I am going to try and live this next year based on this quote:

"For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."   

 

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Thank you to everyone who showed me love today and every day! I am such a lucky woman!

Finished off 27 with a bang!

Day 12 of marriage between the heart and lungs and Day 19 of GLUTEN FREE :-)

It's amazing how much a smoothie can bring a smile to a person's face! Whenever I have a little bit left over, I give it to one of my co-workers and she always gives me good feedback on the flavor!!  She said today's was one of the best yet! It's amazing how well berries can mask the flavor of kale! I also enjoyed some Udi's toast for breakfast this morning! I love that crunchy stuff!

For lunch, I enjoyed some leftovers from last night and I steamed some farmer's market cauliflower...so awesome what lemon pepper seasoning can do to veggies!  One of my co-workers had a Lara Bar today that was actually really good and g.f.  I'm definitely putting it on my grocery list this week because those Luna Protein bars are challenging to consume every day to get prepared for bikram!

I am so grateful for my studio! It has made this challenge such a pleasureable experience! There are THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SEVEN people doing this 60 day challenge! Do you know what that energy feels like?! It is so uplifting when people are cheering for their team during class or hugging after class, even when we are all so sweaty!  Every individual I have interacted with at this studio has been such a positive person with a smile on their face! The teachers and owners are so thoughtful and caring, it just makes you want to walk in there with a smile on your face! I had Gianna again tonight and she took such good care of me and helped me feel good about what I was doing, even if it was not the complete posture or full set, due to the ache in my left calf!   The room had at least 65 people in it tonight, which meant mats were inches from each other on all four sides! Sweaty airplanes and smacking hands flying in the air as people were trying to get into a posture!  Gianna helped me the most today with my Triangle Pose, even when I was having some motor planning difficulties (shocker I know).  By getting my elbow down, I was able to feel this posture even deeper! One day I will look like this:

But until then I will keep trying the best I can--Gianna even made note of that tonight in class.  As long as you are trying the posture the correct way, and you jump back into it when you fall out, you are getting all the benefits from the posture! I left that hot room feeling so much better than I did last night when I felt defeated! Can't wait to get into that sanctuary tomorrow to show this 28 year old body what's good for it :-)

Since it's my birthday weekend, which means some yummy going out to eat meals, we ate leftover Red Beans and Rice for dinner with some fresh broccoli from the farmer's market! Again, that lemon pepper seasoning does wonders!  I'm really enjoying my random treat of tonic water with lime juice sans the gin! It's so refreshing and it gives my taste buds a little bit of a change from water and sweat water!

I can't wait to see more improvements in my life! I've been sleeping so great the last week or so! This morning I slept so hard and woke up BEFORE my alarm and thought it was Saturday! Also I am feeling pretty energized during the day!  28 is going to be a great year, I can just feel it, literally :-) 260 days til I walk down that aisle with the biggest smile on my face!

Pop and sizzle!

Day 11 of that hot room and Day 18 of gluten free!!

My morning started off with a home-cooked breakfast by my lovely fiancee :-) I don't think these days would go by as smoothly as they do without her in my corner! She made me some scrabbled eggs and surprised me with some Udi's toast! I enjoyed all of it with my coffee and vanilla almond milk! Gives it a little bit of flavor without having to add too much sugar and calories!

I started drinking my water and salt water a little bit earlier in the day, just in case there was a change in my schedule!

Lunch time was so tasty and filling! I love red beans and rice, and I could probably eat it once a week! Thankfully I packed a banana and half of a luna protein bar for my afternoon snack! The banana made that luna protein bar more enjoyable.

I was feeling kind of "eh" about going to yoga today because it felt so long since I last went! I guess that's what happens when you go to 8am yoga the day before! As soon as I walked into that door, Nora and Jeff put a smile on my face and I was so happy to be there!  I was having a great class and really getting into my postures and trying really hard to not let my mind take over (since I learned that lesson just yesterday).  During standing stick, though, I heard and felt a pop in my left calf, my nemesis the last couple of months.  All this pain rushed down my left leg and I couldn't help but fall out of the posture onto my mat.  I asked Nora what to do and she said just to stay in the room.  I wanted to cry since I was going to miss out on finishing off a class that started out fantastically! During the savasana that transitions us from standing series to the floor series, Nora told me to try and do what I felt comfortable with and to try to stay in the room if anything.  I did the entire floor series and noticed that the only time my left calf ached was when I fully extended it.  After class, Jeff told me to ice it and to come back tomorrow but to let the teacher know that I am taking it easy on that leg.  I really hope it is nothing serious and that it does not ruin my 60 day challenge! I have been icing it and elevating it since I showered! Fingers crossed and good vibes sent my way, please!

To end on a good note: Sarah found this gluten free honey barbeque sauce (which is my favorite condiment on the face on the earth!), and she marinaded and grilled some chicken in it for dinner! Who would have known that barbeque sauce would have freaking gluten in it!  She also grilled up some brussels sprouts, which are one of my new favorite vegetables! If only I could have Paul Qui's brussels sprouts from East Side King every night :-)  Love Top Chef! Love that Paul is representing ATX so well :-)

Here's hoping that tomorrow's class goes swimmingly!

The Mind

TEN DAYS OF THE HOT ROOM IN A ROW!! and day 17 of eating gluten free!

I woke up at 6:45 this morning and boy, was it weird being up that early! The last time that I was up that early was when I lived in Arlington! So glad that I don't have to get up that early for work anymore! I was a little nervous about taking a class so early.  It only gave me little bit of time to hydrate and get some kind of food inside my belly while avoiding the issue I ran into on Sunday! I chugged some "sweat water" and half of a Luna protein bar.  It was chocolate peanut butter and I was hoping to like it more but it still seems to have that chalky flavor.  I might have to try out the Lara Bars and some other gluten free protein bars.  I asked Kathy and Nora for advice on how to survive an 8am class since my body hasn't had much time to "warm up." Kathy passed along some great advice from one of the oldest Bikram teachers, Emmy Cleaves! This lady is quite fascinating! She is approximately 86 years old and has been teaching Bikram for over 40 years!  Emmy said that morning classes are good because even though your body is not as flexible as an evening class, your mind is not quite awake yet so you are thinking less about what you need to do and focusing more on what the teacher is saying! Also, you are less likely to talk yourself "out" of a posture because your mind is not going to debate your body that early in the morning! I must admit that it was a FANTASTIC class, especially after my crummy class last night!  I felt like I was able to put everything aside and really take in everything that Nora was saying.  Her biggest contribution thus far to my practice is "lift up" and keep lifting! It's amazing how much more you can do when you start out the posture the right way! 

I chugged a Gatorade, which was nasty, after class to give me back some of the electrolytes I just sweated all over that mat! I quickly showered and made some eggs and treated myself to my coffee drink! For my mid morning snack, I enjoyed some fresh fruit and granola.  I wish I knew how he made it because it's so tasty!

For lunch, I had my left over Thai food but it was not nearly as good as the real deal! I may need to learn how to make Pad See Ew so I can use gluten free soy sauce in it!  We had a staff meeting and there were cupcakes for the three of us that have birthdays this week.  Thankfully they were chocolate cupcakes so I was not tempted by the fruit of another! Our water cooler at work had an issue last night so we were without filtered water today and I was so parched come lunch time!  Thankfully I did not have to worry about hydrating for an evening class.  One of my co-workers was oh-so-kind and gave me a lime La Croix drink! What a lifesaver! 

For dinner, we made the Curtis version of Red Beans and Rice! It was so amazing! And so great knowing that the kielbasa was gluten free! I rewarded myself with a tasty Cuba Libre! And Sarah surprised me with frozen yogurt from Froyoyo! They have 7 different flavors that are gluten free and they are low in calories! Woo hoo! It could be dangerous that it's in walking distant from our house ;-)  I threw some gf Annie's snicker doodle bunnies into my peanut butter/chocolate/vanilla concoction! Ah, what a great evening to reward myself for completing 10 Bikram classes in a row! I am looking forward to reaching the 20 day marker but for now I will just revel in being 1/6 of the way done!

Just breathe...

Day 9 of finding new muscles and Day 16 of being more aware of my food!

I woke up early today but apparently not early enough! I didn't have nearly enough time to eat breakfast as planned.  I was able to chug my smoothie this morning with a heavy amount of kale!  During my first sessions, I had some granola with fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries!

I made a large salad with some tuna for lunch.  It's amazing that when you take away gluten from your food choices, it is a lot harder to go grab a quick bite to eat!  My snack was a handful of gluten free crisp breads made by Schar.  If you like Wasa crisp breads, pick these up! One of my co-workers suggested eating them with some avocado on them! I will definitely make that a future treat!

My 5pm patient canceled so I was able to get into the hot room earlier than planned.  I need to learn my lesson and start prepping for class EARLIER in the day in case this happens again! Tonight's class was taught by Mardy, who is the other owner, and she knows Bikram like the back of her hand! After the class, the lady who was next to me made a good point that sums up my thoughts! She said that Mardy has such a sweet and cheery way of teaching, but that she drives the 26 postures to the brink! Honestly, it was probably the worst class of my challenge! I felt like I poured myself into my car and I don't know how I drove home.  I was still sweating AFTER my shower! Mardy just bumps that heat up with a smile on her face! I really do appreciate how she teaches and the corrections that she provides, but I am going to sleep like a baby tonight!

We were going to make Red Beans and Rice but unfortunately the recipe is stuck in my head, not Sarah's! So by the time I got in touch with her, we were starving and there was not enough time to wait for that tasty meal!  So the lesson we learned tonight in our search to find gluten free takeout? Soy sauce is NOT gluten free.  However, we did some calling and some research and a lot of places do not use gluten free soy sauce in their dishes!  One Thai restaurant near us could make my favorite dish, Pad See Ew, sans soy sauce! It was different than the typical way but still tasty!

I'm calling it an early night tonight since I am conquering my 10th (woo hoo!) class at 8am in the morning! It'll be interesting to see how my body feels with only 14 hours between classes!

Final note: I tried coconut with pulp in it after tonight's class...not such a fan. Texturally, it's a little strange. Maybe one day I'll try it again when I'm feeling more adventurous, but for now it's back to the regular kind!

Too Much, Too Late

Day 8 of dripping in sweat and day 15 of eating food without gluten!

The other day Sarah's mom asked if I was craving anything yet (she doesn't eat gluten either) and my answer was surprisingly, no! However, the last two days I have really been craving desserts and I think it's because I am going to be sad on my birthday not to be able to eat funfetti cake! I know that seems like a silly craving, but I have been thinking about it all week!

Today started out on the right foot--well, at least I thought it did! My lovely fiancee made me a scrumptious breakfast while I slept for 15 more minutes! I had some of Dad's Premium Granola with fresh strawberries and raspberries, and some scrambled eggs.  I was feeling pretty great going into the hot room, especially since yesterday I was hungry at the start of the class.  I think today it was too much food, too late! There were moments where I felt like if I took a deep breath, the reaction was not going to be a pleasant one!  Other than feeling full during class, it was a really fun and challenging class! One of my favorite teachers joined me and shared her energy with me, even after having a late night the night before! I really appreciated the fact that she followed through on her word to practice with me today!  I was so impressed that she was able to drag herself into the hot room after consuming lots of alcohol the night before, because I know that I would talk myself right out of that hot room! Jeff led us through an amazing practice and he really helped shape several of my postures today.  I'd have to say the posture of the day for me was Rabbit Pose.  Jeff gave me a correction for the second set of Rabbit and I could fell myself reaping all of the benefits immediately! It is said to help alleviate sinus and allergy problems and I could feel it releasing the pressure and other stuff during and after it! Silly allergies!

After class, Jeff and I were cleaning the hot room together and I had the opportunity to pick his brain on a couple of postures.  He gave me some even greater insight to a posture that I really enjoy and I look forward to it tomorrow! It's called Half Tortoise Pose and it has some amazing benefits! I've heard from several different teachers at different studios that this posture is such a rejuvenating posture! Can't wait to see tomorrow night!

For lunch, we had leftovers from yesterday and they were still so tasty! It's amazing when you make enough for two meals how much money you can save on going out to eat! Sarah and I are typically pretty good at that but when we first moved to Austin, we kind of got in a rut of wanting to try a new place for dinner every week! No mas! We have a wedding to save up for and I have a waistline to trim down!

We took my Oma to go see Sherlock Holmes 2 today, and I cheated and had Mike & Ike's (they are gluten free, just not guilt free!) and a Gatorade as my treat! Did you know that chocolate is not gluten free? It's a good thing I don't have a sweet tooth for chocolate!

My grandparents invited us over for dinner and made some really amazing food! We had this vegetable tonight called kohlrabi, which was really tasty.  My opa roasted it and then we sprinkled it with rice vinegar.  I want to try it again real soon.  It reminded me of brussels sprouts.  The name comes from German descent and kohl means cabbage and rabi means turnip!  Here is a link to recipes with this unique vegetable: Kohlrabi recipes  Tonight's main dish was delicious, and it's super easy to make and full of flavor.  Just put a pot roast in a slow cooker and pour a large jar of pepperoncinis over it! Viola! They also threw in some new potatoes and onions in at the end to give it that flavor! Yummy!

We wrapped up the evening with some soothing Bedtime tea from Yogi.  One of my favorite things about this tea are the quotes on the tag.  Mine said: "Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too."

Breathe normally...

ONE FULL WEEK OF BIKRAM and TWO FULL WEEKS OF GF!

I made a tasty smoothie for Sarah and I this morning. Note: It's so interesting that she can taste the slightest hint of spinach when I couldn't even tell it's in there! Oh well...we both had our helpings of fruit and some veggies this morning! I also had my 8oz of salt water that one of my co-workers describes as tasting like sweat...yum! GROSS!

We wandered around TWO farmer's markets today and bought lots of yummy veggies! I've been really pleased with the quality of the kale from this one farmer, and I was able to get some more today! It's a family farm and they look like they are Mennonites so it brings me back to my love for Harrisonburg! They said they harvest the kale "early" so that it lasts longer when I take it home.  I've had some bad luck with getting vegetables from the farmer's market and them going bad before we eat them...I guess that's what happen when you get fresh produce! So if you are getting kale, ask in what stage of the harvest it is. I also found this week that putting it in a metal bowl with a towel over it in the fridge kept it fresh for over a week!  Now if only I could figure out how to keep kale chips fresh for more than one day!

I didn't feel like I had enough water or food but, alas, I found myself in the hot room with 50 other yogis and an amazing teacher to kick our butts for the next 90 minutes.  I also had great encouragement from a friend, who joined me in this extra packed room! The noon class was so crowded that they opened the other room up!

Side note: Apparently there are 377 people doing this 60 day challenge! How amazing is that! There is a really neat non-profit organization that wants to promote how healing yoga can be both physically and mentally.  It has been started by several yogis who range from people with their PhD in Clinical Exercise Physiology to a master's in Counseling Psychology.  Check it out, it's called Pure Action. 

Okay back to my class today! There is something about the way Lisa teaches that makes you want to make sure your ass has been kicked when you walk out that door.  Well, more like stumble out of that room! I think today's class was the hardest I have pushed myself, and I am feeling great afterwards! I am finding that I am able to hold postures longer and I am really feeling some muscles loosen up!  My strongest posture today is one of my all time favorites! I remember very distinctly when I fell in love with this posture and I have learned so much about patience, concentration, and determination in this posture! It's called the Standing Bow Pose:

Thank you again, Lisa, for helping me bust my ass! One day I will have that "yoga booty!"

For lunch we treated ourselves to Taco Deli! Best tacos ever! One of the best things about this place is on the menu instead of it saying "gluten free items," they denote the FEW items that have gluten in them by saying "contains gluten."  What a nice change :-)  The combo of ingredients they put in their tacos is so unique but they work so well! Almost Top Chef style! If you ever come visit me, you better believe I am taking you to Taco Deli!  We enjoyed our tacos in our backyard, picnic style, to soak in the gorgeous weather! Maya wanted some, too :-)

Note the "Life is good" part :-) It is so great here in Austin! Shout out to my mother-in-law (to be) for the  comfy pj's!

We spent the afternoon waiting in the line to enjoy this thing called Mirazozo...neatest experience! Check it out: Architects of Air! We met some great people and one of the "caretakers" of it is allowing us to come back for free on my birthday to see it when the sun is high in the sky! The Long Center's house manger manning the event was so friendly, as well. Gosh, I love nice people!

Outside

Inside

I came across this recipe for a Lemon Rosemary Chicken from a college friend! It looked so amazing that we have been planning it all week! Make this recipe THIS week! It's so tasty and gluten free! We added more garlic than the recipe calls for, because who doesn't love garlic?! Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Pinot Noir make a great date night dinner :-) along with the movie "What's Your Number?"

Before

After

Can't wait to get started on week 2 of Bikram tomorrow along with some new measurements and pictures! Let's hope there was more change this time!

Change with control!

Day 13 of gf (good for) you food! Day 6 of hanging out in a hot room for 90 minutes!

I have spent at least 540 minutes sweating in a 105 degree room with complete strangers!  Today was an interesting day for me...I thought I was going to 530 yoga, which meant I had more time to hydrate and energize! My 4pm kiddo canceled so it allowed me to get into the hot room a hour earlier but less prepared! Unfortunately, I like to pick which teachers I take because I know how they are going to help me become better and how their energy will carry me through the class.  Today I did not get that option since I was heading to dinner at my oma's and opa's.  All in all, the class served its purpose of helping me build myself into a better me, but it was extremely hard to remain focused in the room and to push myself harder than yesterday's class.  I know I am supposed to be responsible for all of that jazz, but on a Friday afternoon, I was needing a little extra umph to get me through all the postures.  Trust me, I wanted to walk right out of the room after the first breathing exercise...but again the thought of doing a double scared me into staying in that mirrored room.  Additionally, my allergies were bothering me today, which makes it challenging to breathe when the room has 40% humidity! I'm just grateful that today's class is in the books!

My breakfast today was a smoothie with the intent of eating granola, but when you have chatty parents, those 10 minute breaks become zero!  Lunch was leftover pasta with a huge salad! Avocados are the most amazing fruit out there! They are just so flavorful, the color is appetizing and the texture is enjoyable! The only meal worth mentioning was a home cooked meal by my grandparents!  My grandma is eating Gluten free and Casein Free so we are on the same page when it comes to food! She and my opa made a chicken in the slow cooker with lemon juice, rosemary and a few other spices.  Our sides dishes were also tasty! Zucchini with stewed tomatoes, onions and peppers that were also cooked in the crock pot! I put them with the chicken and it was oh so tasty! Sarah's favorite dish was the haricot verts and the dressing that accompanied it! I think if we were not in public, she would have licked the plate :-) We stole the recipe for that dressing because it will make a great marinade on some chicken to grill this week! It was lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper.  If you want the actual measurements, send me a message and I'll email them to you! My grandma and I had a great talk about our voodoo doctor.  Living gluten free should not really consist of finding all of the alternatives that are made without gluten, because you are still filling yourself up with unneeded carbs! Really our diets should be similar to that of the Paleo diet...fruits, veggies, and meat!

Cinco de Bikram!

I am more excited about it being day 5 of Bikram than it being day 12 of gluten free!

A little background about me as a person! Sometimes I can talk myself out of things so quickly and make up all of the right reasons not to do something.  Last night the wind was howling so badly, that I struggled to fall asleep even though my body was exhausted.  I woke up at least 5 times because the lid on the dumpster in the shopping center behind our house was loose, and it continuously banged against the metal.  It also didn't help that I am a scaredy cat!  So typically I would have talked myself out of going into that hot room, but the thought of having to do a double (read: 180 minutes in that 105 degree room in one day) talked me IN to going to class today.  I didn't drink as much water as I should have, especially since I knocked my sea salt water ALL over the table at work.  Good thing the kid thought it was funny because my muscles were sad!

I made another amazing smoothie this morning! Instead of kale, I used spinach and I dumped a nice tablespoon of my homemade almond butter! Talk about delicious! I don't know about you but even though my smoothie is fantastic and has all of the good things that I need for a nutritional breakfast, I always feel like I need something to chew.  It's a good thing I am easily pleased by Udi's toast! It hit the spot perfectly!

Lunch: The pasta was even tastier today! The kielbasa added some nice smokiness to the dish!  I also started chugging water realizing that 530 hot room time was coming sooner than later!

Snack: Sarah did some research for me and found out that Luna Bars are not gluten free BUT their Luna Protein Bars are gluten free.  I had one the other day (cookie dough) and it was okay.  It has that chalky taste to it but thankfully it is small enough that it does not last long.  Today I had the chocolate cherry almond and the flavors of it masked the chalky taste better than the cookie dough one.  Here is the link for them: Luna Protein. Good thing I had a pear to 'pair' it with! One of my favorite fruits are Bosc pears, and they are even better when they are oh so ripe!

Class today was the best yet! At the start of it, I had a difficult time focusing on just myself but I remembered something that Nora said last night "if you are falling out, you are too much in your mind."  I quickly pulled myself into the room, looked at myself and smiled.  I could tell that Gianna was going to lead us through an amazing journey! I am so glad that I was able to bring the "concentrate, mediate" part of yoga into the hot room with me! I felt like I was able to get deeper into postures, stay in them longer and actually breathe through any cramp or weakness that I was feeling.  I actually smiled through one of the postures that I have the most pain in, due to spraining my left ankle one too many times and having all of that scar tissue hanging out in there! There is a posture called Standing Separate Leg Stretch, which  I thought was pretty easy when I first started practicing Bikram  in October 2007. It is purposely placed after Triangle posture, which gets your heart rate going, to help slow down that loud thumping you feel in your chest that makes you want to flee! Fast forward to 2012 and my oh so tight hamstrings, and now this posture is one of my least favorites.  And it's really not that challenging compared to all of the other stuff we do during these 90 minutes.  The first object is to get your knee caps pulled up so that you are engaging your legs, and geez, my legs were shaking so badly tonight! It was like they were quivering apologetically for being so tight!  Read about it here: Standing Separate Leg Stretch

I am feeling sore and ready to snuggle into bed, especially after this Grey's Anatomy episode!

Oh, and dinner was nothing terribly special tonight! I treated myself to Chipotle since the chicken I had planned on was still frozen, and Sarah went out to dinner with a friend.  Thankful to know that almost everything at Chipotle is gluten free, except the obvious flour tortillas!

Smile while you struggle!

Day 11 sans gluten and Day 4 of lots of sweat!

Drinking lots of water = having to use el bano every moment!  I think the hardest part of this "hydrate for class" thing is continuing to drink water when I already need to pee! It's hard to put water into your body when you can't leave your kid to go use the bathroom! I need to become more aware of peeing between patients!  I felt better today than I have yet since I have started this experiment!

I had my coffee drink with the chocolate whey protein again this morning! Everyone that tried it said that it was tasty! Several people said it tasted like Carination instant breakfast from when we were kids!  One of my coworkers gave me the suggestion to add frozen bananas to it and blend it!! Sounds amazing and I will definitely try it out asap! Unfortunately, my waffles that I ate last yesterday were not very amazing today...something about the texture was not appetizing. It was difficult to eat them so when I came home after my morning kiddo, I made some homemade almond butter! It was such a great snack with some fresh strawberries!  Several of my co-workers asked if I would make them some almond butter! Send me some almonds and I'll blend them right up for you :-)

My lunch consisted of leftovers from last night, plus a yummy salad! I am still loving that salad dressing! I look forward to trying some of their other dressings!

For my afternoon snack, I had the perfect Bosc pear and the rest of my salad!  And more water!!

I was pretty excited about heading to class this evening because I still felt energized and I wasn't aching from my other classes.  Tonight's class was pretty packed but thankfully I was there early enough to get my perfect spot! The way Nora started the class was perfect! I felt that I was the only one in that hot room and every instruction that she was given, was meant only for me! She really helped push my practice to become even better! She gave the instruction of "lift up" before you go into a posture! There are so many postures where we have our arms/chest up in the air and really trying to remember to "lift up" helped get deeper into postures while doing it correctly! I have a feeling I am going to sleep well tonight :-) Several times, Nora joked about people smiling but then later in the class, she made a valid point.  She said to attempt to smile instead of scrunching up your face when a posture is challenging.  One of the things that I took home from that message is, if you see yourself struggling, you are more likely to believe it is challenging.  But if you are smiling, it plays a trick on your brain to believe it's a good experience! My favorite posture of the evening is called Half Moon Pose.  There are 3 elements of it.  The first one is exactly what the name implies.  You look like a half moon and it really helps you stretch from the top to the bottom! Love that feeling! The second part of it is a full back bend.  This picture is of the owner of Pure Bikram Yoga with her husband.  Mardy is such a genuine person and is always encouraging you to become a better yogi!

One day I hope for my backwards bend looks this amazing! The benefits of this posture can be found here: Half Moon Pose

Sarah (my better half for so many reasons) had an amazing dinner cooking when I walked in the door! There is something about pasta sauce that just makes you feel "comfort"! We made the same sauce from last week but this week we used fresh tomatoes and kielbasa sausage (which was gluten free)! It turned out so tasty that we both wanted more.  Sarah came to the conclusion that it was better this time because of the fresh tomatoes! I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow.  Again my "reward" beverage for the evening was, you guessed it, COCONUT water :-) It's a good thing I actually find it refreshing! Some people don't like it but after you drip sweat for 90+ minutes, it does the body good!

I am looking forward to reaching my day 5 of Bikram!  There were teams made for the 60 day challenge and I found out that I am on the "double jerk" team.  I will give you a day to ponder that team name! Thanks for reading, and even more thanks for all of the positive encouragement all of you have given me!