If any of you have read my LIST OF DREAMS than you know that it is a goal of mines to get in shape and be healthy. I have noticed lately that its harder for me to walk up the stairs and I easily lose my breath.

I have also been trying to get my mother to lose weight and get in shape as well. We have both been battling this for quite a while. Now don't get me wrong I'm not huge or anything, but I'm truly out of shape and would like to lead an active lifestyle.

So my mom and I have come up with a bet. At first It was going to be something crazy like who can stick with the longest. Than it gradually became more realistic and we decided on the first to lose 20 pounds. We decided on 20 simply because I don't want to lose more than that.

We were supposed to start on Monday. Needless to say, she did not show up to weigh herself. When I weighed myself via Wii Fit Plus at 8:27 am on July 19th, I went from 150 lbs to 147 lbs (I had been trying to get in shape for about a week prior to the "weigh in"). Now our bodies weight shifts throughout the day and my little Wii board did inform me that it was actually in the middle of the day, when I weighed myself 11 days prior. So it is possible that I didn't lose anything, but nonetheless the bet went down to the first to 15 lbs, lol.

So now its on....I haven't worked out in about 2 or 3 days. I know I need to get back on it...AAAANNNNDDD I plan on taking a trip to Cali, mid September and I do plan on going to the beach. Yeah,  its getting real.

*whispering* and yesterday I pigged out and had not one, not two but 3 chocolate chip cookies and a bag of my favorite parmesan garlic potato chips and now its 4pm the next day and I have yet to workout...not looking to good huh???

So I have devised a plan to help me on my yogic journey...Although I'm doing this not for the exercise, but to seek a deeper union with God, I do understand that the poses/postures (whichever you prefer) do play a major part in it.

     

*These were too cute, I had to include them somehow.

So far I have found 2 places, I'm going to try out, Indigo Yoga and Ananda Dallas. At first, I was going to solely use Indigo Yoga. They have beginners classes, all levels classes, private instruction and meditation on Wednesdays. All a girl could ever ask for right???

I want to be able to learn the basic poses (beginners classes), continue practicing yoga (all levels classes), meditate on a consistent basis (meditation) and receive one on one spiritual advice on how to use yoga to help me accomplish a divine union (private instruction...AAAAHHHH wrong). Everything was perfect except for the latter. The price of private instruction was too much for little ole me. I know I'm making decent money now, but not that much.

So my search begun again. I found a really cool place called Ananda Dallas. Even though they are much much further away from me, they are cheaper. And guess what else is really cool about them??? They offer a Sunday service that combines meditation, chanting, worship and reading from both the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita. I'm not saying that I will become an avid service goer, but it was nice to know that Christianity does have its place at this yoga center.

But before I go there, I want to get the basic postures down to a tee. I will be attending the rest of the beginners series at Indigo Yoga and then transition to the services provided at Ananda Dallas.

I can't wait to hear God as clearly as Adam and Eve....

 Whats the difference between vegetarianism and veganism? Some people don't differentiate between the two and others do. I'm one of the ones that do. I hold a vegetarian to be someone who does not eat meat, anything of flesh. A vegan is a much stricter vegetarian that does not eat, by or use anything that is made from an animal. This includes any dairy products or by products, eggs and by products of eggs, honey, fur clothing and leather made merchandise.

I've always wanted to take my view on animals rights a step further. I just didn't know when. At first I was going to give myself a timeline of 5 years of being a vegetarian. Then I went into I'll do it when the time is  right; meaning whenever I felt that it was the right time.

Then I moved to Thailand, where I witnessed mistreated animals and read about the abuse that they receive. I changed a lot while living over there. I was able to prioritize and confront a lot of things internally and externally. I knew that veganism was going to be in my near future. But before I made that change I wanted to be sure that nothing would stand in my way. NO EXCUSES this time.

So my 2 year anniversary it would be.....Well that 2 year anniversary was 5 days ago....So I began.

Instead of going cold turkey like I did with vegetarianism I'm strategizing this time. But my strategy will act more as a guideline (I will explain what I mean later). Here it is:

July 15th - October 15th

October 15th - January 15th

 

January 15th - April 15th

April 15th - July 15th

July 15th - The End of My Life

(had to throw this in :-)

When I state EGGS, MILK, CHEESE AND BUTTER, I mean soley those products by themselves, not products that contain these. I have decided to do it in this way because I know that this is going to be way harder for me than just being a vegetarian. It is going to severely limit me in the places that I can eat at and what I can eat when I go. I want to ease myself into it, so that I can do it right and not cave in.

So when will I stop eating products that contain the main four??? Along the way and most definitely after July 15th. I think that as I master the 4 main categories, it will become easier and easier for me to give up products that contain them such as egg noodles and soups from Olive Garden, homemade pancakes, muffins, Naked drinks and even margaritas (yeah I know, they actually have eggs in them).

But like I said this is more of a guideline. If I feel that I can move on before my deadline then I will; if I think that I can cut out the products that use the main 4 along the way then I will. A friend once told me, as long as I'm trying thats all that matters.

WISH ME LUCK!!!