Better food choices

Today I decided that my diet needs a mayor overhaul. The way I discovered this was really a no brainer (the kind of no brainer that has to hit you over the head before you admit that you know what you know). It so happens that I drank a soda and right after I lost all the energy in my body. No more sodas for me. I found out that there is a place about 20 miles from here that sells organic fruits and vegetables on Saturdays. However, tomorrow we have the Quality of Life Expo starting at the Convention Center and I might be able to check it out tomorrow. Right now, the only thing I can tell you is that the least amount of cooking I do, the better I feel. Yes, I am leaning towards certain uncooked food, but I am not ready to do the Demi Moore thing yet. My girlfriend, MG mentioned the organic thing to me recently, and I think it is important that I consider it. More info on this later. I promisse whatever I learn I will share with you here. Keep trying!

Chocolate

A lot of things have been written about chocolate. Today is the one day of the Year when no one looks at you funny for eating chocolate. So I decided to give my often uneducated view on chocolate for the benefits of those who like me, are trying to get healthy and loose weight.
I have no intention on quitting chocolate. For one thing, it is the only way you get me to drink milk on a daily basis. If I can't pour Quik on my milk, there is no way I will ever drink it. I have done this since I was ten years old. The other reason why I have no intention on quitting chocolate is because I am a chocoholic. I quit cigarettes, I quit soda, I am abandoning all the other goodies. I believe that you should not give up EVERYTHING you want because in doing so you predispose yourself to fail. Besides, dark chocolate has some ingredient that supposedly is good for you. I say, I will drink a chocolate milk to that, while enjoying my Valentine's day Godiva Dark Chocolate box in the next couple of days (hey, I said I indulge, not that I eat them all in one sitting). Keep trying.

Don't give up

So, I went to see Ricky Martin on his last concert in PR. It was amazing. I don't even like Ricky that much and I danced along and screamed like a teen ager. It was fun but unfortunately, Anna got sick and she did not enjoy it as much as I wish. (She screamed enough that today she has no voice left, so I guess she did enjoy it). Today she is home, with a massive sinus infection (and no voice). Even though the weekend was miserable, and Monday was a logistical nightmare, I have to say that I managed to keep my spirits up. Today, it is a new day. I am organizing a routine that I can actually follow. I gave up cigarettes and now I am working on the soda. I realize is too soon to drop one thing when the other is so recent, but the truth is that you have to go at your own pace and this makes me feel better. I already feel more energized. Try it for yourself. Make a list of all those habits that are not so positive and decide to give up one. The feeling of empowerment will give you the momentum and when you are ready, tackle the next one. Build on your successes and don't give up.

There will be good days and bad days

Today is supposed to be a good day. The whole day is planned and if everything gets accomplished, I will get home at 11 PM exhausted but happy. I am taking Anna to a concert. She is 15 and loves music (like her mother) and even though she pretended not to care if I got money for the tickets, she can't stop talking about Ricky Martin today. It is the last day he will be in PR, and we got tickets close to the ceiling of the Coliseum, but it does not matter to her.
The weekend was not happy. It never ceases to amaze me the effect your mood can have on your food and exercise choices. This weekend I did nothing. I ate crap and I did not move at all. Why? Because I had a sabotage to my efforts on Friday, and the effects of this event marred my good intentions. I am still feeling down about what happened but I refuse to let anyone or any thing deter me from my goals. I will loose anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds this year. I will not smoke any cigarettes for the rest of the year (yes, I quit already and I am not craving them as much as I thought I would). I will be able to go on vacation and not be embarrassed by my body. I will improve my calf condition so that I can walk next year on the Worlds best 10k here in PR. I will have a better life and eat better than I have until now. All of this is part of the program, and no one will make me stray, but I am not going to pretend like some times it does not hurt when the people that you have around try to ruin it for you. Sometimes it's the ones that you have sacrificed the most for that prove to you over and over again that your sacrifice means nothing.
This weekend is the Quality of Life Expo here at the Convention Center. I will talk more about this in a future spot. Keep trying...!