Tuesday, February 1, 2011
New Book in a Month
And it's a short month, so my BIAM will be short, too. My goal is pretty doable, too: I'll be penning 1,000 - 2,000 words per day. The hardest part is waiting until the end to edit this baby! Something I didn't realize until years later is that "Once an editor, always an editor." So I'm doing my best to turn off my internal editor and have a new project, one I'm excited to talk about on here, by the time March comes rolling in like a lion!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Odd Woman Out...er, diet-wise, that is
Seems like a lot of my coworkers are on the Diet that Shall Remain Nameless. The ones that aren't are losing weight (or trying to) by other means, and they give progress reports. Then there are the ones who *want* to be on a diet, but aren't on one currently, though they express guilt that they're not dieting. This week, one of the ones on the DTSRN had a small loss, though I have to say, she remained positive (at least outwardly) and my other friend was disappointed because she "only" maintained. She did everything right, according to the "rules" set by the DTSRN, and yet she didn't gain, but she didn't lose, either.
I'm going to be honest here, because I know there are readers who lurk specifically because of IE. I don't want it to seem like this has all been smooth sailing for me. Along the way on my Intuitive Eating journey, I've almost fallen off the wagon a few times. I've seen people with their little books and materials from the DTSRN, or announcing triumphantly how they've dropped a size, and sometimes I've almost gotten swept up in all the diet-generated excitement. The keyword there is almost.
The thing is, once you've tasted freedom, it's really hard to willingly march back into the emotional jail cell otherwise known as the diet mentality. And sometimes it feels like I'm Odd Woman Out, because after over a year, I've come to embrace Intuitive Eating. For over a year, I've maintained my weight, which has fluctuated anywhere between 130 and 136.
Only recently did I realize that I LIKE this weight. It's not what the charts say is right for me, but it seems to be the natural healthy weight that my body returns to again and again. It's not the "ideal" weight that I always believed I was supposed to adhere to, but it is what I weigh naturally.
This morning I could barely wait to get my exercise clothes and sneakers on and then hit the pavement! It is an amazing thing, exercising because you WANT to, because you know how good it feels to have those endorphins bursting through you, because you've been stressed out and need exercise to de-stress. It's been unseasonably cold here in North Carolina, and last week my schedule was kinda packed, so I didn't make it to the gym as often as usual. That's okay: There's a beautiful park, complete with a track that runs all the way through it, within walking distance of my home. All the flashy little diet books and materials and even a golden number popping up on a scale can't compare with knowing that you're exercising not because you're trying to erase some of yourself, but because it's a pleasure to move a body that is healthy.
And after a year, what would you find when you open my fridge or my pantry? How about a carton of fresh sliced baby portabella mushrooms...red beans prepared Cuban-style...fat-free yogurt...a large bottle of apple juice...fresh carrots, both for cooking and snacking...gourmet coffee ground from the beans...strawberry preserves...a loaf of pumpernickel bread and one of whole grain...strawberry ice cream...lean chicken breasts...sweet peppers, to be sliced up with onion and sauteed in olive oil--a heart-healthy fat!..instant apples-and-cinnamon oatmeal...granola...organic Chai tea...and Diet Mountain Dew, because I'm used to diet soda now and find the "regular" stuff too sweet for my taste.
In short, you'd find a blend of healthy choices and "guilty" pleasures, which now don't make me feel so guilty anymore, because I find myself eating less of them than when they were "forbidden" and therefore more attractive to me. That's where I am now on this journey. I've come to a point where I now consider myself an intuitive eater. Food is now both fuel for the body and a pleasure to be savored.
And at times, I'm Odd Woman Out. But I was at one time One of the Girls, right there with my diet books and materials and giving progress reports, feeling like a failure when I "only" maintained or "only" lost .5 pounds after a week of "doing everything right."
In light of that, it's not so bad at all, being Odd Woman Out.
I'm going to be honest here, because I know there are readers who lurk specifically because of IE. I don't want it to seem like this has all been smooth sailing for me. Along the way on my Intuitive Eating journey, I've almost fallen off the wagon a few times. I've seen people with their little books and materials from the DTSRN, or announcing triumphantly how they've dropped a size, and sometimes I've almost gotten swept up in all the diet-generated excitement. The keyword there is almost.
The thing is, once you've tasted freedom, it's really hard to willingly march back into the emotional jail cell otherwise known as the diet mentality. And sometimes it feels like I'm Odd Woman Out, because after over a year, I've come to embrace Intuitive Eating. For over a year, I've maintained my weight, which has fluctuated anywhere between 130 and 136.
Only recently did I realize that I LIKE this weight. It's not what the charts say is right for me, but it seems to be the natural healthy weight that my body returns to again and again. It's not the "ideal" weight that I always believed I was supposed to adhere to, but it is what I weigh naturally.
This morning I could barely wait to get my exercise clothes and sneakers on and then hit the pavement! It is an amazing thing, exercising because you WANT to, because you know how good it feels to have those endorphins bursting through you, because you've been stressed out and need exercise to de-stress. It's been unseasonably cold here in North Carolina, and last week my schedule was kinda packed, so I didn't make it to the gym as often as usual. That's okay: There's a beautiful park, complete with a track that runs all the way through it, within walking distance of my home. All the flashy little diet books and materials and even a golden number popping up on a scale can't compare with knowing that you're exercising not because you're trying to erase some of yourself, but because it's a pleasure to move a body that is healthy.
And after a year, what would you find when you open my fridge or my pantry? How about a carton of fresh sliced baby portabella mushrooms...red beans prepared Cuban-style...fat-free yogurt...a large bottle of apple juice...fresh carrots, both for cooking and snacking...gourmet coffee ground from the beans...strawberry preserves...a loaf of pumpernickel bread and one of whole grain...strawberry ice cream...lean chicken breasts...sweet peppers, to be sliced up with onion and sauteed in olive oil--a heart-healthy fat!..instant apples-and-cinnamon oatmeal...granola...organic Chai tea...and Diet Mountain Dew, because I'm used to diet soda now and find the "regular" stuff too sweet for my taste.
In short, you'd find a blend of healthy choices and "guilty" pleasures, which now don't make me feel so guilty anymore, because I find myself eating less of them than when they were "forbidden" and therefore more attractive to me. That's where I am now on this journey. I've come to a point where I now consider myself an intuitive eater. Food is now both fuel for the body and a pleasure to be savored.
And at times, I'm Odd Woman Out. But I was at one time One of the Girls, right there with my diet books and materials and giving progress reports, feeling like a failure when I "only" maintained or "only" lost .5 pounds after a week of "doing everything right."
In light of that, it's not so bad at all, being Odd Woman Out.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Gadget Lovers
Right now I'm wearing my Kindle. Future Kindle, that is. I don't have it yet. Saving up for it, but I used what I would have saved at an excursion to get my nails done. Boy, that's a clutsy sentence for a writer!
I'm one of those gadget lovers. In my purse there's a Sony Ebook Reader, which I've had now for about a year. It's a great little thingy, and I've got a couple of books stored and waiting, plus the Bible (which I am reading on it. Now THAT'S a new experience), and also stored on it is John Grisham's The Confession for my husband's reading pleasure. But the Kindle is all the rage among my friends at work, so now I'm seriously but seriously coveting one.
It got even more enticing when I brought my Ereader in to show a friend, who then asked, "Does that one read to you?" I just did a double-take at her and asked, "W-w-w-what?" Apparently that little thingy reads to you while you're fixing the roasted potatoes and veggies for dinner. Que chevere, baby! So now I'm even more jazzed to save up for one.
Only I'm wearing mine. For now, since I spent the portion of my weekly allowance, which I would have set aside for the Kindle, at that little nail shop in town. My nails do look pretty nice, though. Look at it this way: I can be grateful for my Ereader, which is the loyal little gadget that I DO own right now.
And anyway, I should have enough saved up for the Kindle--and then some--by the time I get through reading the Bible!
I'm one of those gadget lovers. In my purse there's a Sony Ebook Reader, which I've had now for about a year. It's a great little thingy, and I've got a couple of books stored and waiting, plus the Bible (which I am reading on it. Now THAT'S a new experience), and also stored on it is John Grisham's The Confession for my husband's reading pleasure. But the Kindle is all the rage among my friends at work, so now I'm seriously but seriously coveting one.
It got even more enticing when I brought my Ereader in to show a friend, who then asked, "Does that one read to you?" I just did a double-take at her and asked, "W-w-w-what?" Apparently that little thingy reads to you while you're fixing the roasted potatoes and veggies for dinner. Que chevere, baby! So now I'm even more jazzed to save up for one.
Only I'm wearing mine. For now, since I spent the portion of my weekly allowance, which I would have set aside for the Kindle, at that little nail shop in town. My nails do look pretty nice, though. Look at it this way: I can be grateful for my Ereader, which is the loyal little gadget that I DO own right now.
And anyway, I should have enough saved up for the Kindle--and then some--by the time I get through reading the Bible!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
STRANGE DESIRES
"Prince of the Forest," my romantic paranormal novella, is part of the anthology STRANGE DESIRES. If you've never caught this story, you'll want to drop by Melange Books, which has revamped the cover for its new release. The works of my fellow authors, Mae Powers, Mila Ramos, Chris Cumo, Lisa McDonald, Ravyn Reccio, and Megan Hussey, all from Midnight Showcase, are all packed into this one terrific anthology.
While you're at it, be sure to check out the other new and upcoming books from the exciting new publisher, Melange Books!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING...even if I am a couple days late!
Finally got to settle down and rest after hosting that HUGE dinner. Still getting back into the swing of IE, though holiday eating is a lot easier with IE. Listen, when you're full, you're full, it doesn't matter what day it is. But in full disclosure, there are still too many yummy leftovers left over, including my son's mother-in-law's most excellent homemade tiramisu. (Hint: Laced with rum!)
Since yesterday we just hung around the house, relaxing, I was able to fit in a lot of work on my new WIP, which is a short romance story. I'll be zipping that off to a magazine, and then it's back to a paranormal novela that I started prior to Thanksgiving.
This is really my favorite time of year. Not only is there a lot of excitement in the air, but it's a time filled with family and reflection over the past year, plus expectations and plans for the new year.
Oh--and how do I get one of those nifty HP mini laptops? Any chance they'll dip down in price once the Christmas lights get put back in the attic?
Finally got to settle down and rest after hosting that HUGE dinner. Still getting back into the swing of IE, though holiday eating is a lot easier with IE. Listen, when you're full, you're full, it doesn't matter what day it is. But in full disclosure, there are still too many yummy leftovers left over, including my son's mother-in-law's most excellent homemade tiramisu. (Hint: Laced with rum!)
Since yesterday we just hung around the house, relaxing, I was able to fit in a lot of work on my new WIP, which is a short romance story. I'll be zipping that off to a magazine, and then it's back to a paranormal novela that I started prior to Thanksgiving.
This is really my favorite time of year. Not only is there a lot of excitement in the air, but it's a time filled with family and reflection over the past year, plus expectations and plans for the new year.
Oh--and how do I get one of those nifty HP mini laptops? Any chance they'll dip down in price once the Christmas lights get put back in the attic?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Unique Writing Tool
Lately I've been published under another pen name, one that's separate from both Connie Keenan and Consuelo Vazquez, and just this week I really got energized. I don't know what it is, but there are two times a year that I get especially jazzed to get some coals in the fire, writing-wise, and the first is spring. There's something about spring--you know, the "young" season, the season when everything's new and sultry summer is right around the corner. That season's got a way of giving birth, so to speak, to new projects.
The second season is right now, at the end of the year. When everybody's reflecting on what they've done, I find myself making plans for the coming year.
That means this is also when I get those all-important writing tools ready. You know, things like a new calendar to keep track of deadlines...a case of Diet Pepsi, preferrably Cherry, for that fizzy caffeine kick needed for writing late into the night...a folder for story ideas and clippings that inspire me and I might need for research...extra notebooks and pens, because I'm an antique that still totes those things to work with me so that I can sit in my car at the park at lunchtime, getting some time with my WIP.
And most recently, a writiting mascot--my dog, Chi-Chi! Poor Cheech got roped into that one the other night. She was resting comfortably on the rocking chair in the bedroom where my hubby, her daddy, was watching Everybody Loves Raymond before falling asleep.
"Aren't you writing?" Bill asks me.
"Yep."
"But you came in for your dog?"
"Yep!"
Luckily, Chi-Chi is a natural born princess. She doesn't care where she can lounge out, just as long as she can curl up and nap. She happens to do that very regally, too. That was her extent of overseeing my writing that night. No biggie for her, but she made my job of telling a story a lot less lonely, just having her nearby on the daybed in my home office while I tinkered away at my desk (really a baker's rack that I've had for years. Kind of a stylish workspace--efficient, too!).
And having her there worked even better than a tall, frosty glass of Diet Cherry Pepsi!
The second season is right now, at the end of the year. When everybody's reflecting on what they've done, I find myself making plans for the coming year.
That means this is also when I get those all-important writing tools ready. You know, things like a new calendar to keep track of deadlines...a case of Diet Pepsi, preferrably Cherry, for that fizzy caffeine kick needed for writing late into the night...a folder for story ideas and clippings that inspire me and I might need for research...extra notebooks and pens, because I'm an antique that still totes those things to work with me so that I can sit in my car at the park at lunchtime, getting some time with my WIP.
And most recently, a writiting mascot--my dog, Chi-Chi! Poor Cheech got roped into that one the other night. She was resting comfortably on the rocking chair in the bedroom where my hubby, her daddy, was watching Everybody Loves Raymond before falling asleep.
"Aren't you writing?" Bill asks me.
"Yep."
"But you came in for your dog?"
"Yep!"
Luckily, Chi-Chi is a natural born princess. She doesn't care where she can lounge out, just as long as she can curl up and nap. She happens to do that very regally, too. That was her extent of overseeing my writing that night. No biggie for her, but she made my job of telling a story a lot less lonely, just having her nearby on the daybed in my home office while I tinkered away at my desk (really a baker's rack that I've had for years. Kind of a stylish workspace--efficient, too!).
And having her there worked even better than a tall, frosty glass of Diet Cherry Pepsi!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
More Intuitive Eating Adventures!
Nine months now & counting. If it was a relationship, I'd have to say it's not just a fling anymore!
I promised to check back in on intuitive eating, so here I am. To this day, I have yet to count a calorie, point, carb or anything else, and yet my weight is now fluctuating between 128 and 130. Since my weight had gone as high as 138, that's been interesting to me. The only thing that I have changed is that I've started going back more regularly to the gym, and that's because I notice that I feel better on the whole when I go to the gym. The key word there is regularly--I'm not exercising obsessively.
Did going back to the gym speed up my metabolism, hence the loss of 10 pounds? Honestly, I don't know. I tend to think it has more to do with the fact that at this point in my journey with intuitive eating, I'm no longer stress-eating, i.e. treating a chocolate sundae like a therapist after a rough day at work. Something else is that I've stopped thinking of eating as something done on a weekly cycle, with a weekly allotment of points, so if I "mess up" I then have a feast day and glumly decide I'll start over the next day, only to "mess up" again two days later. As any ex-dieter can tell you, nothing will pile on the pounds and keep them on more than emotional eating and the I've-messed-up-but-I'll-do-better-tomorrow-so-pass-the-Doritos mentality.
Now it's like that old Christian song goes: one day at a time. Obviously, that's not just a good way to approach intuitive eating, but that's a good way to live! I no longer have an "allowance" of points or calories that I'm "permitted" to eat each day, with some surplus at the end of the week as a "reward" for being good. At this stage, looking back at dieting, that's a bizarre way to live. It's almost like life revolving around food...which it doesn't.
Instead of an allowance, now I have FREEDOM! I have a long way to go on this journey, but I've come to the point where I trust myself. Food is no longer The Enemy. I can go out to a get-together at a restaurant with friends and not worry about eating "point-friendly" meals. On the contrary: I have what...I...want. Not what I'm "allowed" to have or what I'm "supposed" to have.
In light of the fact that I now look at a fresh salad served with a light vinagrette dressing with the same anticipation as a Dairy Queen Blizzard--and sometimes I consider the salad more inviting--why would I ever want to return to the frustration, expense and enslavement of dieting?
Would you believe that I'm also trying out more recipes now than I ever did before? Here's one I found for zucchini bread that is out of this world! Our garden was producing more zucchinis than we could humanly eat (even with giving some away to friends and family), but look what happens when you add some cinnamon, flower, walnuts and other ingredients!
I have no idea how many calories are in it. But I do know a slice of it goes perfectly with a great cup of coffee and it makes a good, filling breakfast!
Next time: Some interesting observations about intuitive eating, otherwise known as how we were really meant to eat before the multi-billion dollar diet industry told us we were doing it all wrong.
Till next time!
I promised to check back in on intuitive eating, so here I am. To this day, I have yet to count a calorie, point, carb or anything else, and yet my weight is now fluctuating between 128 and 130. Since my weight had gone as high as 138, that's been interesting to me. The only thing that I have changed is that I've started going back more regularly to the gym, and that's because I notice that I feel better on the whole when I go to the gym. The key word there is regularly--I'm not exercising obsessively.
Did going back to the gym speed up my metabolism, hence the loss of 10 pounds? Honestly, I don't know. I tend to think it has more to do with the fact that at this point in my journey with intuitive eating, I'm no longer stress-eating, i.e. treating a chocolate sundae like a therapist after a rough day at work. Something else is that I've stopped thinking of eating as something done on a weekly cycle, with a weekly allotment of points, so if I "mess up" I then have a feast day and glumly decide I'll start over the next day, only to "mess up" again two days later. As any ex-dieter can tell you, nothing will pile on the pounds and keep them on more than emotional eating and the I've-messed-up-but-I'll-do-better-tomorrow-so-pass-the-Doritos mentality.
Now it's like that old Christian song goes: one day at a time. Obviously, that's not just a good way to approach intuitive eating, but that's a good way to live! I no longer have an "allowance" of points or calories that I'm "permitted" to eat each day, with some surplus at the end of the week as a "reward" for being good. At this stage, looking back at dieting, that's a bizarre way to live. It's almost like life revolving around food...which it doesn't.
Instead of an allowance, now I have FREEDOM! I have a long way to go on this journey, but I've come to the point where I trust myself. Food is no longer The Enemy. I can go out to a get-together at a restaurant with friends and not worry about eating "point-friendly" meals. On the contrary: I have what...I...want. Not what I'm "allowed" to have or what I'm "supposed" to have.
In light of the fact that I now look at a fresh salad served with a light vinagrette dressing with the same anticipation as a Dairy Queen Blizzard--and sometimes I consider the salad more inviting--why would I ever want to return to the frustration, expense and enslavement of dieting?
Would you believe that I'm also trying out more recipes now than I ever did before? Here's one I found for zucchini bread that is out of this world! Our garden was producing more zucchinis than we could humanly eat (even with giving some away to friends and family), but look what happens when you add some cinnamon, flower, walnuts and other ingredients!
I have no idea how many calories are in it. But I do know a slice of it goes perfectly with a great cup of coffee and it makes a good, filling breakfast!
Next time: Some interesting observations about intuitive eating, otherwise known as how we were really meant to eat before the multi-billion dollar diet industry told us we were doing it all wrong.
Till next time!
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