Favorite Quotes By Bruce Lee

Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. Have faith in your ability. You will do just fine. ~ Bruce Lee

Research you own experience; absorb what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is essentially your own. ~ Bruce Lee

Whenever I look around, I always learn one thing and that is: always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself. ~ Bruce Lee

The greatest mistake is to anticipate the outcome of engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory of in defeat. Let nature takes its course and your tools will strike at the right moment. ~ Bruce Lee

You have to create your own luck. You have to be aware of opportunities around you and take advantage of them. ~ Bruce Lee

Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality. To me, defeat in anything is merely temporary, and its punishment is but an urge for me to exert greater effort to achieve my goal. Defeat simply tells me that something is wrong in my doing, it is a path leading to success and truth. ~ Bruce Lee

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Summary of Our First week of Vacation


So as many of you know – Kirk and I have taken one month off and are on vacation.  We have now been officially been gone a week and I wanted to share some of what I have been struggling with, found success with and basically how it has been going.

I decided to plan food for this trip, which I think has made a huge difference overall.  We brought a big cooler and filled it with water, other drinks, and food.  The food I packed for the trip was mostly healthy clean food so I wouldn’t be tempted by hunger at our fuel stops.  In the cooler, there was beef jerky, think thin protein bars, almonds, grapefruit, cherries, unsalted peanuts, organic trail mix, lunch meat, cheese, lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps, and so much more healthy food.  I have to admit it was a success!!!  Not only did it help me stay on track, it helped my man.  Instead of buying junk food we were able to have a roadside lunch that healthy and inexpensive.  I was never tempted to get anything from the local fuel store and in fact we never really went inside of them except when we wanted coffee. 

My food planning also has worked out for snacks and lunches since we have been in one of my favorite places, Coos Bay, OR.  To my surprise Kirk has really enjoyed the lettuce wraps.  However, we have been eating out as well and eating with family friends.  This has offered me some challenge.  When planning with my coach we agreed that I would do protein, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats; and that I would stay away from starchy carbs like bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.  I have to admit for the most part I have been able to do this.  It has offered me challenges where there aren’t substitutions, so what I have done is just ordered my food without potatoes or allowed Kirk to eat them if he wanted them.  Although I admit I have had a bite here and there of some of my favorites from his plate, biscuits and gravy, blueberry pancakes, etc. and I also have made choices on when to indulge a little more on my own plate.  This though is something I have to watch and make sure I really want it and that is it for the week, which has been hard.  So this is something I am still working on perfecting.

For workouts, I decided that there are many things I can do that don’t require weights (although I love my weights and wish I could have them at the beach).  I brought my workout log book, a couple bands, my plyo workouts (which take up no space other than what is needed in my head), and the idea of walking/running on the beach with my dog.  So far I have done lots more walking than anything else, which is fine because part of my plan is recovery time and walking on the beach with Kirk and our dogs is definitely recovery time.  I did get two “real” workouts in this past week – 500 walking lunges and a 20 minute plyo workout.  I will try to pick up the workouts this next week - increase to 4-5 days.

I mentioned the recovery time/activities.  This is an important piece of fat loss without it losing fat becomes more difficult and all the workouts and healthy nutrition can be undermined by unmanaged stress.  And recently I have had a lot of major stress with work.  I had been trying to manage it but truth be told I feel overwhelmed and completely helpless at work.  Enough work talk, though I am on vacation and don’t want to think about that place.  What is important about this piece is that I am finally taking the time to recover and rejuvenate by slowing down the pace, enjoying the ocean views and ocean water as it wash over my feet.  It is the Northwest Coast – so the ocean is pretty darn cold and the temp outside has been maybe a high of 67 which for you who live in AZ know – that is like our winter. Needless to say - we haven't been swimming in it.

The last thing I planned to do to help keep myself in line was to measure myself every week.  This will help keep things in perspective about what I am doing.  I was planning on bringing my scale but I didn’t do it, for a couple reasons. Kirk thought I was crazy and said “you’re on vacation.”  I talked to him about my goals and what I wanted to be able to do and that I want my vacation to be a healthy one not one I regret and undo all the work I have already done, plus it’s not like we are leaving for a weekend.  We are planning to be gone a whole month.  So I settled with something I thought was reasonable and that I talked with my coach about – a measuring tape.  This is small easy to carry and would help me see where I was at with my body.  I am happy to say that although my measurements have been up since I stopped training for the competition, they were down when I measured yesterday from when I measured before we left and this makes me feel great!!

With all the above said here is what I am going to work on this week and also the things you can do as well when you go on vacation:

1) Continue to order food that is basically protein and veggies only (order double veggies when possible) – Stay AWAY from starchy carbs.  Bring in my own fruit to eat if they don’t offer a substitute for starchy carbs.  We have found Denny’s is a great option and very accessible when traveling.
2) Limit bites of Kirks food – only one nicely sized bite if it is something I am really craving – otherwise I will steer clear of it.
3) Allow myself one cheat meal a week – however on that day I need to make sure I do a workout. No excuses.
4) Workout 4-5 times per week – even if it is only 15 minutes – I need to be doing something to keep my muscle tone and help burn fat.  No more excuses.  The other day I did a 20 minute workout when Kirk was getting ready & watching tv. 
5) Continue recovery walks and activities with Kirk and the dogs.  Remember vacation is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.  Treasure the moments and soak them in. 
6) Measure my body once weekly and email my coach with progress.  If you are working with a coach it is important to continue to be in communication with them, so he/she can continue to support you and your goals.  Also this keeps you focused on your goals even though you are on vacation.  Just because vacation is here doesn’t mean you forget about what you want.  My focus is still present and I am using this is another opportunity to challenge myself and learn how to manage temptations as well as grow stronger and more focused.  (My hope is that I lose a little while on vacation but if I just stay the same I will be incredibly happy).

Overall on vacation it is important to recover from stress and rejuvenate yourself.  Be thoughtful of your choices and plan when you can.  I have been able to eat pretty much anywhere we have gone just by staying committed to what I am choosing to eat.  Short quick workouts keep you moving in the right direction without taking up too much time and some days my workout has consisted of running on the beach with my dogs and hiking up to an amazing waterfall (Raven & I sprinted up hill and ran downhill to both of them for a short distance).  The point is to make it work for you without feeling an increase in stress by doing it.

Remember you always have a choice even when on vacation, so choose it wisely and you won’t be disappointed when you return.



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