Turning A New Page

One year & one month ago I made the decision to live healthier & lose weight. My doctor had just informed my that my blood test showed I had high cholesterol & high triglycerides which put me at a high risk for heart disease; heart attack & stroke. Those are some scary words & as a then 24 year old it was a difficult diagnose to swallow. It was unexpected. After that I really put all of my energy into exercise & eating healthier. I thought that I could lower my cholesterol the natural way. To my surprise it helped a little bit. In September I followed up with new blood work & my results showed that my triglycerides went from 262 to 143, my LDL (bad cholesterol) from 150-149 & my HDL (good cholesterol) had gone down even lower (not a good thing) numbers were weird & still not healthy but I was so happy that with my lifestyle change I was able to lower my bad numbers, even if just by a little bit. Over the last 5 months I have lost some weight but mostly have maintained. I am ready to go further  & meet my goal weight. Today I signed up for Weight Watchers. My great friend Amber (& others I know) have had such a great success with this program. So today I turned a new page on this journey to being healthier & more fit. I've missed the gym for a few weeks because of pneumonia but I am ready to get back tomorrow. This process has been a roller coaster no doubt! This one year & one month has left me feeling successful & proud of myself. So far I have lost 25 pounds but plan to lose another 19 pounds. Although it did take me a long time to lose the weight, I am happy that I did it at my pace, the way that it worked for me, & with the support of my husband, family, & friends. I will soon be getting new blood work to determine how much this weight loss has helped lower my LDL cholesterol. I am confident & ready to take on this new challenge. 

Are you taking on any new challenges health wise? What are some of your successes? 

Beatriz
  

What's In My Cross Body Bag

My best friend Alycia inspired me with a What's in your bag mama? post where she emptied out her bag & exposed its contents. I've seen some of my favorite makeup gurus making videos like this on YouTube & although my bag is no where as exciting as theirs or Alycia's, I thought it would be a fun thing to share. I am really surprised how little I keep in my bag these days. I switched from a large Michael Kors bag to a smaller cross body bag I just bought by Giani Bernini that doesn't fit as much, which I like, but might make it a little boring. Without further ado, the stuff in my bag currently.

• Coach Sunglasses- these shades are new & I am loving them at the moment.
• Korres Lip Butter- in pomegranate has a slight tint & great moisture for my lips
• Rimmel Lipstick - number 103 Kate Moss line
• Smashbox Lipstick- in the color Melodrama
• NYX Lipgloss- in the color Beige, weird name since its more of a pink.
• Mac & Jac Wallet- I have so many membership & points cards from several stores, currently no cash :(
• Sharpie Pen- my favorite pen to write with, perfect thickness & smooth (yes I care about it that much)
• Inhaler- used it a lot while I had pneumonia, & now I use it when I feel I'm not breathing as well
• Tissues- because I'm still coughing a lot & no one likes a person who coughs into their hands

My bag contents are always changing, sometimes I have 5 lipsticks at a time because I forget to take them out, luckily today I only had 2. My shades are probably the most necessary to have at all times, what do you have to carry in your bag at all times? Share in your comments or make a What's In My Bag post of your own. Have a good day.

Beatriz

My Pneumonia Adventure

The last several weeks have been full of lives distractions. I'm all for a change every once in a while but it didn't seem like we had any sort of routine going, it was a tad bit overwhelming. The biggest downer was me getting sick. First I thought I had the flu, I had all of the symptoms but around the 3rd day I began getting this really bad cough & it was making it impossible for me to sleep. Fever was high & body aches ravaged through my body day & night. I decided to see my doctor, mainly to see if he could give me anything to help me sleep. He sent me home with Tamiflu, Benzonatate (to help control the urge to cough) & some cough syrup with codeine which was suppose to help me sleep. It didn't of course, so a few days after that I found myself in the ER with a high fever (still!) a cough that wouldn't quit & made my head feel like it would explode if I coughed one more time, & a lack of sleep that really brought me down. Still they sent me home with pain killers for my headache, an inhaler, & a few directions to getting better. After a couple of days more of spiking temperatures, night sweats, chills, headaches, coughing, I saw my primary doctor one last time... this time I demanded an X-Ray of my chest, I knew something did not feel right & I was tired of being sent home & told that I "just needed to ride out this flu." At this point (a little over a weeks time) I was feeling frustrated, emotional, anxious & fed up with the dozens of medications I've been using, I cried to my doctor & asked that he please order an X-Ray- so he did. I'm glad I did because the next day I received a call from my doctor & it turned out that indeed I had more than just this season's flu, I had pneumonia in my right lung. I cried when I heard him diagnose me. I think I was crying out of relief. He immediately sent a prescription for antibiotics to my pharmacy. I knew there was still a long road ahead to recovering completely. Today was my final day taking my antibiotics but only the 3rd day I have felt well enough to be out of the house enjoying life. Through all of this frustration & sickness I am very thankful for Matt who was there for me. He really went above & beyond to make sure I had everything I needed. He consistently asked how he could help me or make me more comfortable. He even took a couple of days off work during my worst days to keep me calm & relaxed. He brought me food in bed, made grocery store/food runs, drew me baths, & even rubbed my feet. He is the best. I love him so much.

Yoga

I think it's about time to share one of my newly accomplished goals. I have been wanting to try yoga for a very long time, my sister has been raving about it for over a year & even my doctors have recommended it for my back. It is really great that our gym has so many free classes to take at so many different times. Last night was the third yoga class I have attended but only the second class I've really enjoyed. There are several types of yoga & thousands of instructors that put their own twist on the practice. Some instructors share modifications & accommodate newcomers a little more than others. Modifications  are what I need since I am still so new. From what I have gathered so far, it is very important for your body & your back especially to practice yoga correctly as well as the modification poses correctly. Like any other exercise it is easy to hurt yourself if you practice incorrectly. I suspect that since the class is large it's not possible to give personal attention to all who need it & I think that is the only downfall to taking yoga at my gym. Eventually I would love to get a membership at a studio where I can really be taught & walked through difficult poses & stretches. For now I will continue attending at least twice every week. For over a year now I have focused on running & weightlifting, I still really enjoy it but I am happy to be adding something new to the mix. I know that it will pay off. Yoga is not easy, I am feeling the burn & working on muscles that I wouldn't typically focus on during weight training. The benefits of practicing yoga are many & I can't wait to experience them. My goal was simply to try yoga & I am happy to be sticking with it. Have you tried anything new thinking you wouldn't like it & turned out to love it? A food, an exercise, anything?

Beatriz

Green Smoothies

Depending on what you put in your smoothies you can get lots of vitamins, fiber & essential nutrients. There are many fruits, vegetables, & leafy greens that are perfect for smoothies. Do be careful of those that can be high in sugar & limit their amount. Personally I have found that when I have a smoothie for breakfast or lunch it gives me energy, keeps be full, & I feel good. I thought I would share a couple of combinations I have been using, really they are very similar versions so don't look too hard for their differences.

Yesterdays breakfast smoothie.

Smoothie #1
2 Handfuls of Spinach
1 Medium Naval Orange
1 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds
1 Cup of Carrot Juice
1 Small Banana

Smoothie #2
2 Handfuls of Spinach
1 Medium Naval Orange
2 oz of Fresh Pineapple Chunks (I weigh it)
1 Cup of Carrot Juice
1 Small Banana
1/2 Handful of Parsley


There are many other ingredients you can incorporate into your smoothie.
Flax seeds, Swiss Chard, Celery, Whole Carrots, Kiwi, Mint Leaves, Strawberries, Greek Yogurt, Blue Berries, Mango, Oats, Almonds, & Cucumber. That's just a few... & If you are afraid of a vegetable taste, don't worry, the fruit (especially banana) does a great job at masking the taste so you would have no idea you were eating handfuls of spinach! Do you like smoothies? Do you have a recipe? Feel free to share!!

Beatriz

Our Trip to Wrightwood

There is nothing more that I have wanted but to head up a mountain & play in the snow. Is it just me or do our winters seem to be getting warmer every year? Anyway, on Matt's day off this past Friday, he finally caved & took me to the mountains. We drove up the 15 to Wrightwood. A tiny town best known for it's Mt. High Resort. Cute little place with only a few shops & restaurants. We looked to Yelp for some guidance & found ourselves at The Grizzly Cafe for lunch, I had a really good Bloody Mary& fish & chips. Service was great, our server was the sweetest & so attentive. If you ever find yourself in Wrightwood, I recommend this place.

If you plan on visiting these snowy mountains this season I highly recommend a good jacket & gloves. Being from Orange County I yearn for a real Winter season & boy did I get that on this visit! Temperatures were in the high teens & my nose felt like it was going to fall off. I still enjoyed it so much. After lunch we drove around looking for a good spot to play & try building a snow man, that was a fail on account of the snow being pure powder & without good snow gloves our hands froze the instant we touched the cold snow. I had fun just being there with Matt, taking photos & holding on to my hot chocolate. We explored a few different places before heading back home. Here are some of the photos I took.

Getting ready to get out of the warm car & out to the cold

The road

Wrightwood, Ca

Matt next to a tree he really liked

My view of my feet

I tried throwing a snow ball at Matt but it just turned to dust in the wind (anyone get that reference?)

Matt & I really want to take up snowboarding. I have been a few times & really liked it so I can't wait to try it with him. We'll most likely wait for the next season so I am already looking forward to next winter. What are some of your favorite activities or favorite places to visit in the winter? Whatever it is you are doing, stay warm & drink lots of hot chocolate.

Beatriz

Matthew

It is the perfect time to tell you more about my husband Matt. Tomorrow is his birthday & I want to honor him by sharing the things I love most about him & the reasons I admire him so much.

1. He's adventurous & an explorer. One of my favorite things about my childhood was taking off for entire days with my dad to different parks & new places to explore. We would hike, climb trees, & explore cool scenery. When Matt & I started dating one of the first things we did was go on a hike together & that turned into a great bonding time for us. I like that he is open to sharing a passion of mine with me, & even more I love that he gets excited when we find cool rocks or animals like I do. I have so much fun exploring new places with him.

Here is Matt at Tenaja Falls, our favorite hiking trail.

2. He loves dogs & hates cats. “If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, you must be a cat.” Well he doesn't really hate cats but he is absolutely a dog lover. My heart belongs to Matt, but there is a huge part that belongs to dogs, especially Sofie. Sofie has also won Matt's heart & they are the best of friends. It takes someone with a big heart to love any animal, Matt has a big heart. 

Matt & Sofie, the best of pals, taking a nap.

3. He knows just how to make me smile & laugh. It didn't take long after meeting to show each other our silly side. It also didn't take long for me to realize how good it can be for a relationship to be silly more often than not. Laughter cures many things & he can really make a bad day seem better just by making a funny face.

What was meant to be a cute kissy picture while on our honeymoon, but I love him for it.

4. He loves my family & my family absolutely loves him. Matt loves my them as if they were his own blood & as if he's known them his whole life. I appreciate that he has loved & cared for my niece & nephew that way as well. They have a very special relationship that cannot be replicated. 

Matt & our niece & nephew playing Trouble, Christmas 2011

5. He is affectionate. I hope that I never ever take for granted the love he shows me every day. He loves me so much & he's not afraid to show me. 

My favorite is when he kisses my cheeks.

6. He is not afraid to try new things. Food, places, & activities, he'll try it! It is even better when he ends up really liking it but if he doesn't I know he will still try something new again. I think that because of this quality, our relationship is never boring.

Mole, one of the first new dishes Matt tried turned out to be his favorite for me to make. 

7. Of all of the things I love about him, the one that really makes me thankful that he is my husband & that I get to spend the rest of my life with him is that he is so strong in our marriage. He makes it his priority & is always finding ways to move us forward. There is no doubt that there are many struggles & obstacles to overcome in a marriage & in life, he makes these struggles easier to go through. Matt finds the good in the bad & always sees the light at the end of the tunnel. He balances my life, he brings out the best in me. He makes me want to be a good woman & a good wife. Matthew Morin is the love of my life & I cannot wait to celebrate his life tomorrow with him. Happy Birthday Matt. I love you so much. 

My husband Matt on December 31 watching the last sunrise of 2011.

Love, Beatriz