3rd Time's the Charm?

Well, I'm officially in it. I'll be as raw as possible for the next 30 days at least. My homegirl, M, is back with me, too. Call it Spring Cleaning, if you will. I started this morning and was doing pretty well. Until a wave of nausea just about smacked me in the face. Not only was I vomiting, but I was seeing spots. Scary. I had a craving for something salty. What is the raw equivalent to saltines? I skipped my workouts (I plan on making them up over the week to keep the chain intact) and will be in bed very soon.

Anywho, I think it might have been the VitaMineral Green. The same thing happened last Tuesday (remember the green smoothie incident) and that's the only common thread. It supposedly doesn't need to be refrigerated and doesn't really go bad but maybe I shouldn't keep it on top of my fridge.

So now I'm looking for new superfood/sea veggie/green powder options. Suggestions?

The one day I watch Oprah...

Usually I'm at work around 4pm, counting the minutes until I'm free of the office. But today, we've gotten about 6 inches of snow and I was rewarded with a snow day. Oh the joy! But the hours have flown by and in between keeping up with my work email, I haven't done much of anything except make tea and clean the snow off my car.

Meanwhile, in the land of the Oprah, the show is all about how much you can do without. And I'm a big fan of this. Granted, I realize that I live a much more simple life than the people sampled on the show, but I still am an American, so I tend to accumulate stuff.

Since going raw, I've cut a lot of things out of my life, because they just don't fit. My microwave is on it's way out. Hello, counter space! My clothes literally don't fit and keep not fitting, so I went on a shopping moratorium for the winter. I won't shop again until April 3. So, I've been clearing out my closets without replacing anything and I realized something. I don't need a lot of clothes, I just need a few versatile pieces that last. I don't know what those are yet, but I'm researching.

And I decided in January that I want to be cable free. No more monthly cable bill. I've already gotten rid of the house phone. The only thing I want to pay is for an internet connection and a Netflix subscription. Hopefully, Philly will get good free wireless soon and I can cut another monthly bill.

But watching Oprah, I'm wondering if I can cut even more. I've allocated $1,000 to upgrading my entertainment center and going cable free, with the idea that with cable costing me $100/month, it will pay for itself in 10 months. But if I cut that down to maybe a $500 or $750 investment, that's another chunk that can go to my savings or a trip.

I've still got a bunch of DVD's and quite a few books that I never watch, and with streaming Netflix, I won't need them. I think I should send them to AbundaTrade. And do I really need to keep a VCR?

My kitchen is pretty bare bones. I've been trying to be better about eating things before they go bad. I am developing quite the collection of kitchen tools, but I use them all and there are no repeats. And whatever I don't really use I pass on to the mom or the brothers. I'll take another look though. On second thought: mugs. I have way too many mugs. And cups in general. Maybe plates too.

Oh, and then there's the hall closet. Yeah, we all have one. Mine has a craft bin, tools, towels, a rug, and at least two pairs of rollerblades. I'll have to make an appointment in there before the weather breaks. And while I'm at it, I might as well throw in the living room closet. It's not atrocious, but still, lot's of stuff I don't use.

So, from the O, to me, to you, my IP's (that's internet people, for the newnews), I extend the challenge: What can you do without? How simple can you make your life?

Still at it...

Hmmmm, Monday...

I'm feeling very light today. Which is ironic compared to what I saw on the scale this morning. Yeah, I'm not telling. Just know that things aren't really moving up or down. I had a huge craving for a green smoothie this morning, but couldn't drag myself out of bed. I barely got to work on time, so forget making breakfast. I wish there was somewhere in Philly I could get one to go. Oh, well.

This weekend was so crazy, hanging out with N and her friends and races (3 minutes off my five mile time!). I had a great time, but I didn't do any grocery shopping or meal planning. I have lots of food at home I need to cook, but no breakfast and lunch stuff. This is a great week to multitask during my lunch breaks since my usual lunch buddies are out of town, so I'll do some running around or some reading.

That's all for now. Maybe more later. Back to work...

The raw is calling me...

Have I been over this before? I can't remember, but it sounds familiar. Lately, I've been desiring that rush and pride that goes along with being mostly, if not all, raw. Maybe it's the extra attention I paid to what I ate. I thought working out more would make it easier for my body to process all the non raw foods I've been eating, like sprouted bread, brown rice pasta, oatmeal, soy yogurt, and even egg whites (gasp, I know). Not only are those things not really satisfying me (this definitely sounds familiar) but I've been craving greens, huge salads, fruits and berries and feeling extremely lethargic.

I figure I have two options. Ignore my body for a while and see if these cravings go away or listen to them and phase back into a mostly raw diet. Now, a few months ago, I attempted to add green smoothies back into my diet. Both times, I couldn't stomach more than a few ounces and ended up letting them go bad. And I hate to waste food, so I'm really cautious about trying them again. I also thought about mixing Vita Mineral Green with some water and gulping that down each morning. Maybe I'll do another month long challenge, March 3-April 3, when I plan on going to Boston for the first time. I'm supposed to see a nutritionist soon, but she's flaking and I don't know if I have time for that.

What to do, what to do...

Training has commenced...

And I am serious. Which is why I'm going to bed now. 2 miles of cross
training are on the schedule for tomorrow...

Stasis

I'm not even sure that's a word outside of the science fiction world,
but that's how I've been feeling. I'm between. On the verge. In
suspended animation. It's not that nothing's going on; it's that I
have so many options, so many things I could dedicate myself to. And
these are passions I see becoming careers or ways of life. But at this
stage they're so fragile, I don't even want to speak of them.

But know that in the deep of winter, as things hibernate, I am
working, planning, tinkering. So that when the seasons change I will
be ready to unleash a barrage of my potential.

Sent from my iPhone

And miles to go...

Well, it's here. The 09 training season. And I got it started right, with a 10k this morning. And let me tell you, after two Broad Street Runs and various 5k's and 5 miles, this was my hardest race ever. It was nothing but hills, up one, down another. A few miles were just uphill. And there was cars on the road. I guess they couldn't close the roads off since we ran through a residential area. But my girl, N, and I pulled through and finished happily. That is until I got to the finishers' tent and found that all they had left was beer. Yes, beer. Not one, but two kinds of beer at that. I did get a great shirt, though (Brooks long sleeve technical), so I may still do it again, hiccups and all.

I'm glad to know I have six (albeit slow) miles in me. And after last week, I have the kick in the pants I need to keep my ass in the gym for the next eight weeks. That's when the squad is taking a little R&R to Boston and I plan on doing my first clothes shopping in about 4 months. Can we say single digit sizes? Maybe even cutting previous sizes in half? Yes we can...

Oops...

Wow, I didn't realize it had been over a month since my last blog post. Let's see, I've been working out like I'm being paid for it, and as a result, eating like a man. I finally ordered a bottle of Sun Warrior Protein. It's a bit chalky, but eons better than the E3 Live stuff I tried first. I'll probably mix the two together until I finish the nasty stuff.

Other than that, I've been really focused on greening and streamlining my life: inside my home, my finances, and my career. On that note, I'll leave you with my favorite song of the moment. It's what gets me pumped up in morning...