Law Of Attraction: Day 65

Evolution one – week ten

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Hello Folks,

Today is the day I am usually on call in the evening. It is the only day that I try not to commit to anything. I actually get more rest on Tuesday, unless I get called out, which isn’t too often.
I read my horoscope and it said I need to slow down and rest for the day. I came home from work and took a nap. It felt so good to decide to do nothing for the moment. When I woke up I started to think about what the Law of Attraction means to me.

Here is what I came up with…

I don’t know if I believe in everything said and written out there about what the law of attraction is and how to apply it to our lives. In some ways I am discovering the true meaning of this belief system as I go along on my journey toward a healthier body.

One thing I know for sure, I have seen it work in some areas and not in others. I am careful not to apply it to traumatic situations, because I think there are a lot more elements at play when someone is the middle of a war zone, than the law of attraction.

I tend to think of it more as a tool to use in areas that are obviously obtainable. Not to focus so much on what is unobtainable, but rather to put forth effort towards tangible outcomes. Is it possible to levitate using this law? I don’t know; but will I try if I have a desire to achieve that result…maybe. I think anything is possible, but how to get it, I don’t think is as simple as believing you already have it. I think it is about lining yourself up with the universe.

How do you line up with the universe? It is like tai chi….breath with the universe until it is a natural part of you. This sounds all fluffy and good, but what I am really talking about is tuning into intuition; learn to listen to that small quiet voice within and take actions from within.

How do we find the small quiet voice within if we are clouded by so many discursive thoughts? If you don’t like meditation I think dreams are a good place to start. What can be more pure than a dream? I think dreams are the messengers and healers of our subconscious mind. Dreams let us finish the unfinished; point the way towards some possible direction for our lives; and help us to heal old wounds.

I have had many dreams throughout my life that have shown me my own future, or revealed to me what to do next or let me know where I am stuck. I have recently had the advantage of being close to someone who is very in tune with her dreams; through listening to her I have learned to listen to my own dreams once again.

I have had lucid dreams, premonition dreams and many things in between in my life, and for some reason I still forget to pay attention to their many messages. I have decided to revisit my dreams and see what they tell me. I have also decided to put my intention for a healthier body into my dreams before I go to bed.

I think second to dreams, is learning to discern; learning to discern the difference between a clear intuitive message and an impulse desire. In that case, I use the rule of three. If I get the message three times, then it must be an intuitive sign. I am not talking about obsessiveness….that is definitely more than three. I would look at that too. I am talking about something you reject that visits you three times.

The third thing that seems to be a good message is when everything comes very easily. It is as if you ask the question the answer comes almost immediately. Surely, when something comes with ease it is a sign. I am always surprised at how and when things come, and what form.

For example: A long time ago I used to make drums. I was having a hard time finding skins for my drums. I had just finished my first ashiko drum and couldn’t find a head to put on it. I remember walking down the street carrying my drum and thinking to myself…I wish I had a skin to put on my drum.

As I was walking, a guy crosses over the street and walks toward me (no lie) and he asks me if I made the drum. I said yes. And he asked me if I needed a skin for it. He gave me a goat skin, but it was with the hair and all. I ended up having to de-hair it… I kept some hair on it and it was the first drum I officially ever made. It was the beginning of my connection with nature and interest in living sustainably, off the land, like primitive people.

I believe the universe wanted me to have that experience and it happened pretty quickly. I was also open to receiving the skin, despite its form, which was not what I had imagined.

I think that is pretty normal….to ask for something…get it…and have it not quite be exactly what you imagined. I think the purpose to that is that there is something to be gained by the challenge of the unexpected. The universe has its own plans for you, too.

The real trick is the mind; taming the mind can somehow help us listen more deeply to the universe. The universe is, in part, connected to intuition. It is always speaking to us in a whisper. I believe it wants us to listen more closely to its messages, but if we don’t, you can be sure it will slam us on the head!

I have spent a lot of time in nature. I spent months and months in the deserts of Arizona, and one thing I know for sure, it is the most close I have ever felt to the universe. My mind was so clear I didn’t hear any voices in my head for a long time afterwards. I couldn’t find the words to explain to people my experience, because it was like nothing I have ever felt. My mind was even more still than when I was meditating. Every time I asked for something it came to me so easily. I can’t explain it…I remember one day saying to the sky, I have seen it all, I believe there is something greater than me, but show me one more time for fun.

Within seconds I ran into a piece of fruit, where there should have been none. You see, at the time, food and water were my main concerns. That is when I knew that if I lined myself up whereby my intentions and thoughts are pure that the universe is very responsive.

So here I am, many years later, reminiscing about a time when things came so easily for me. Why has it not always been that way? I think it is because I was asleep for a while, not trusting. Back then, I took risks…big risks…the kind that others would say were crazy. I never thought of it that way at all, I just knew things would work out, and they did.

Part of this experiment is about taking risks. I am applying what I believe to be my own version of the law of attraction…that I gained so many years ago when I used to be homeless. So you see, once again, it really isn’t about weight. It is about alignment; aligning myself with the universe.

Mind. Body and Spirit.



Exercise: Pyramid Training, Interval (bike-20 mins)

Menu: Veggies and Protein

Until next time…

Think, Believe, Act, Achieve

Dakota

Today’s Mantra: Dreams can be the door to the intuitive mind

Week 10: Day 64

Evolution one – week ten

Monday, May 4, 2009

Hello Folks,

Somehow I managed to get my workout in this morning. This weekend I cleared out a lot of old stuff, and today I finished it. It felt really good to get rid of junk. I find that I feel mentally better when I keep my things lean and organized; it trickles into other areas of my life.

It is especially satisfying to simplify my life. Unfortunately, I love to collect things. A cycle I seem to have learned over time…donate…buy…donate…buy.

When I am organized with my home I am also more organized with my fitness schedule. It is so much easier to plan my day, when I can find the things I need.
Anyway, more on this topic later.


Exercise: Interval (40 minutes – running)

Menu:Veggies and Protein

Until next time…

Think, Believe, Act, Achieve

Dakota

Today’s Mantra: Whatever you think, that you will be...

Getting Ready For A New Evolution: Day 63

Evolution one – week nine

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Hello Folks,

Another beautiful day in Ithaca. I am still sore from yesterdays hauling project, but not too sore to workout! Ha. I did a double day today. I shortened my cardio to 20 minutes. I drank a ton of water with Emergen-C mixed in it to boost my immune system. I decided to do a Tai Chi workout. I did everything real slow. I definitely felt the burn!

I have to say; this week my measurements, body fat percentage and weight have pretty much stayed the same. The only noticeable difference is that my fitness level has gone up a bit. I am going to have to look at my menu for this week a little bit more closely. I haven’t been counting calories at all. I have mainly been watching portions and eating 5 meals a day.

I think If I am going to get my weight down a little bit more I am going to have to challenge it some. I also need to eat more vegetables. I eat a lot of salads with tuna or eggs or tofu, but not so much broccoli, asparagus and those kinds of veggies, unless you count my liquid day, which includes beets, carrots and apples.

The good news is that because I am doing this every day I am still feeling very motivated and seeing lots of progress in other areas of my life. I feel better about myself, I am looking forward to summer and swimming and I like my body.

I still have some more goals around what I want to achieve. I am especially looking forward to the Quadathlon in August. I am excited to get ready for the big event.

I used a body fat calculator on-line and got around 20 percent body fat. I also used a calculator that tells you your Basal Metabolic Rate...same idea as body fat percentage. It tells me that my caloric burn per day is around 1700 to 1900; based on my activity level and weight and height and age.

A pound of fat is equal to 2500 calories. In order for me to continue to burn fat I need to eat 2500 calories less per week. Since I am obviously not burning fat any more; my body has started to adapt to my menu and exercise, I need to change my menu, since I have already increased my exercise.

This means that I consume about 1800 calories times 7 (days) or 12600 calories per week. If I want to lose a pound of fat this week I either have to increase my exercise more or eat less. If I eat less, that means I should eat around 10100 calories this coming week to lose a pound of fat. 10100 calories divided by 7 days equals around 1400 calories per day.

Probably my age has played a significant role in the amount of calories I burn. Hard to say for sure though. Also, this is a very simplistic calculation, so who knows how accurate it is. Anyway, I will give it a shot this week. 1400 calories divided by 5 meals equals around 280 calories per meal.

This means I will eat...

Meal 1: 300 calories
Meal 2: 300 calories
Meal 3: 300 calories
Meal 4: 300 calories
Meal 5: 200 calories

I haven’t been calculating my calories at all, so now I am going to start to casually count. I am not a big fan of being anal about calorie counting, but since this is an experiment I can tolerate it for a little while.

That means more planning of my meals. I am also going to lighten my dinner a little and make my bigger meals during the day. Let’s see what happens.


Exercise: Continuous Training, Interval Training

Menu: Veggies and Protein

Until next time…

Think, Believe, Act, Achieve

Dakota

Today’s Mantra: Temporary is better than permanent

Evolution one – week nine

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Hello Folks,

I worked out this morning. It was so beautiful out I decided to go for a run. Today was a big project day for me. I have been renovating my downstairs apartment. It looks like a demolition site! After my workout this morning, my real workout happened. I must have hauled 1000 pounds of materials. I made sure I didn’t overwork one side of my body. I don’t want to pay for it later.

I am pretty excited about summer. I am just starting to feel really healthy now. Even today when I was hauling heavy loads of plaster and wood I didn’t feel tired. I wasn’t breathing hard. It is nice to feel the benefits of being in shape again. I really had to work at it on my run to breath heavy.

I am looking forward to wearing a bathing suite for once. It has been a long time since I felt like I looked good in a bathing suit. I would usually just jump in the water right away, so I wouldn’t have too many people really see my body. I always dreaded swimming. I don’t like to do laps, but it is nice to cool off. Well, I am going to get some sunshine after a long day of laboring.

Exercise: Pyramid, Interval (run – 30 mins.)

Menu: Veggies and Protein

Until next time…

Think, Believe, Act, Achieve

Dakota

Today’s Mantra: This body, full of faults, has yet one great quality: whatever it encounters in this temporal life depends upon one’s actions.

Quadathlon: Day 61

Evolution one – week nine

Friday, May 1, 2009

Hello Folks,

This afternoon I was able to fit my workout in after I left work. It definitely helps to get off work at 12:30 on Friday; I get so much more of my errands done. I ran around paying bills and buying dog food; stuff like that. When I came home I did my Continuous Training and Cardio workout.

As a way to continue to motivate myself on this weight loss journey; I am going to do a Quadathlon. It will give me a reason to not only cross-train, but also to train hard in the process. Originally, I had wanted to do a triathlon before I turn 40. I have always wanted to compete in a triathlon for as long as I can remember. I have competed in bike races and running races but not something with three exercises in one.

I love running and biking, but I am not a big fan of swimming. I am a pretty good swimmer, but my technique is weak. When I was little I had several drowning incidents. One time I was taking a class with other kids. I learned the front stroke, so I was doing pretty well. Then the teacher told us to doggy paddle across the pool. I started to doggy paddle with all the other kids but got tired quickly.

Because I sucked at it, half way across the pool I started to drown. The teacher told me to do the front stroke, but I was so panicked I didn’t understand her. She ended up jumping in and coaching me to swim the way I knew how. It was so embarrassing, I didn’t want to go back to the pool for a very long time.

Ever since that incident, I prefer to play in the water rather than swim laps or something. Anyway, I am not looking forward to the swimming part of the Quadathlon. The truth is, I was looking for a triathlon that has kayaking, biking and running- rather than swimming, biking and running. All I could find was this Quadathlon, which includes biking, running, swimming and kayaking.

When I found the Quadathlon on the internet I thought that it would be pretty cool to do. I was psyched that it included kayaking and I figure I will get over the swimming thing. What I like about this particular event is the distances for each event seem manageable to me.

It is called the Hendry Hudson Quadathlon. It will be held in Hudson, NY. It is an event to celebrate Henry Hudson’s historic voyage up the Hudson River. I will run high above the Hudson across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, swim in Catskill Creek, cycle from Catskill to Athens along the bank of the Hudson and then paddle past the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse to finish in Hudson City. Sounds pretty cool huh?

It is a relatively short event, and who knows, if I really enjoy it I may do one or more of these every year for fun. The distances are pretty short too: run: 3.5 miles, Swim: ¼ mile, Bike: 7.1 miles, Kayak: 1.1 mile. It will be held on August 2nd. I am going to drive down with an old friend of mine, who is also interested in competing. Stay tuned for my video record of this historic event!

Exercise: Continuous Training, Interval (bike 30 mins.)

Menu: Veggies and Protein

Until next time…

Think, Believe, Act, Achieve

Dakota

Today’s Mantra: Better to kayak than swim; to run than walk; to bike than crawl

Exactly Two Months: Day 60

April 30, 2009: Day 60: Top pictures

March 3, 2009: Day 2: Bottom Pictures

Evolution one – week nine

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Hello Folks,

Today was a major recovery day for me. Last night I was hurting. A combination of no sleep for several nights in a row and getting my period took its toll on my body. Last night I even had one of those vivid dreams I get when I go into a deep sleep!

I took the day off from work to recover. Fortunately for me, today is a free day, so I didn’t exercise and I ate what I wanted. Frankly, I didn’t have too much of an appetite this afternoon, but I stuck to my 5 meals a day, just for good measure.

I have softball practice today, but the way I am feeling, I don’t think I could do much but catch the ball. I don’t feel too excited about running after the ball.

On days like this I usually take a hot bath. I try to use Epsom salt; about 2 cups in my bath does the trick. Apparently, Epsom Salt removes toxins from the body without making you feel tired after you bathe.

It is made up of Magnesium sulfate, which is absorbed through your skin during your bath. When you absorb Magnesium sulfate it is a natural way to draw toxins from your body, calm your nervous system, reduce swelling and relax your muscles. Sounds like a wonder drug to me.
I love to take baths when I have cramps because almost instantly the heat makes them go away. I used to take baths without Epsom Salt, until someone recommended trying it in my bath. I tried it and noticed a big difference in how I felt when I got out of the bath.

I take long baths, so I expect to be tired or drained a little bit, but whenever I used Epsom, I didn’t feel tired at all and my skin was soft instead of dry. Anyway, it worked for me; I felt much better afterwards!

Today is day 60; it has been exactly two month’s since I started this body transformation. In honor of today I am going to post my current front/ back pictures, along with my day 2 front/back pictures. Check out the difference! Something happened to my first day back picture; I accidentally deleted it, so I post my Day 2 pictures instead. I looked the same as I did on day one, so I don’t think it is a big deal. It is a bummer that I lost the first day 1 back picture though.


Exercise: none
Menu: whatever I want

Until next time…

Think, Believe, Act, Achieve

Dakota

Today’s Mantra: Better to bath and break and be happy than to suffer

Tired: Day 59

Evolution one – week nine

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Hello Folks,

I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so my immune system is down. I still worked out, despite only having two hours of sleep. I don't recommend doing it on a regular basis. I felt fine during exercise, but afterwards I crashed!

Tomorrow is my free day, so I will have plenty of time to get rest....yaaay.

So, I am going to post my pictures and sign out.

Exercise: Continuous Training, Interval (bike - 20 mins.)

Menu: Liquid

Until next time…

Think, Believe, Act, Achieve

Dakota

Today’s Mantra: There is nothing, no tragedy too great, no malady so incurable, that we cannot find something to counteract it if we do not forget to go within ~ Paramananda