Monday, August 18, 2008

Sitting on the Fence thinking about Food and Thought while Living My Physical Potential

I can't believe I haven't posted here in over a week. I left for St. Paul last Thursday and I was able to get quite a bit of work done in the airport, editing the photos I took about how to clean and store fresh veggies, and although I never got around to writing that blog post on my trip, it was my intention to get it done when I got home, first thing. Now here it is, Sunday, and as I sit down at 5am to finally cross it off of my "to do" list, and somehow all of the pictures I took are gone.....no where to be found....at least for now, I'm moving on.

So I guess it's fitting that all week I have been thinking about merging my 2 blogs back together into one. I like my blog to look full and exciting, not to mention I kind of like my life's journal to be all in one place. So why did I seperate them to begin with? ( I started writing this Sunday morning, for my Food and Thought Blog, and just now getting back to it Monday morning deciding to finish it for this Blog)

I started Food and Thought because I wanted to express my thoughts about the craziness of food and eating away from the judgement of some people that read my other blog for the KB training information. I don't consider my eating habits to be a struggle, a fight, or a flaw, more of a mystery than anything, and sometimes I feel like trying to solve the mystery and sometimes I don't. My eating habits are just that...habits. The way I eat food is a habit I'd like to re-establish in another way and I am doing just that, by making different choices that bring me closer, and to, living my life feeling good inside and out.

When I was fat, food never gave me grief, I just ate, and ate and ate, whatever I wanted and as much as I wanted, I accepted the trade off. I was happy, for the time, living in my mouth and ignoring the rest of my body until my body started giving me grief. In the last year before I started regaining my health I thought I was developing IBD (irritable bowel syndrome), and that was no fun! Still I didn't think of the possibilty that it was connected to my obesity or the foods I was eating, I blamed it more on my age...can you believe that? It wasn't until I lost the extra weight that all of my physical ailments disappeared...completely! No aching feet, no knee or back problems, no heartburn, acid reflux, or snoring, lol.....no IBD! Who knows what was going on that I didn't know about, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc..

I also started Food and Thought because I love preparing, cooking and eating food. Through some miracle I was able to find ways of cooking and preparing all of my own foods in ways that helped me lose 120 puonds of extra bodyweight in about a years time and I wanted to share my experience. I didn't learn to cook until my 30's, before that I rarely cooked any other meat besides ground beef. I had never roasted a chicken, much less made homemade chicken stock, practically weekly, and my own soups exclusively. I had never made a salad that included anything but lettuce, tomato, maybe some canned garbanzo beans, and bottled dressing. I had never cooked or eaten or even purchased foods like cabbage, kale, brussels, beets (or certainly not beet greens, one of my favorites). I had never cooked a winter squash, much less could tell you what one was. I couldn't tell one fresh herb from another, I could go on and on. I am so passionate about fresh live foods that I want every one to eat this way, and it doesn't matter what your current cooking ability is, everyone has to start somewhere, you have to have the desire to move in the direction of better foods, better health.

I started Food and Thought because I thought these two subjects were seperate from my training, and now I see they're not. I recently changed the name of my blog from 'Rediscovering Strenth' to 'Living My Physical Potential'......I rediscovered my strength....lol.....I'm strong, that I know....so it was time to move forward. I originally was going to rename it 'Living My Athletic Potential', and I'm able to live my athletic potential because of my kettlebell training, but also because of the changes I've made in my diet, therefore my health, attributing to my ability to establish fitness. It's all connected. It's all me. This is who I am and this what I do.

I have lots to say, based on my experience. I have lots of hope, based on my experience, and I'm living proof that anyone and everyone can realize their athletic potential and live their physical potential everyday. It's never too late to experience your potential.

Potential; the inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being.

Potential is not perfection. Potential is not perfection.

11 comments:

Christine said...

I enjoy reading all aspects of your life and training - and yes, they are all tied together! As much as we all try to compartmentalized our lives, in the end, everything - heart, body, mind - is all connected. I derive so much inspiration from your entries, two blogs or one- just keep writing!

Jo said...

Hey Tracy,

I just wanted to tell you that I won the contest at work and i want to thank you for all the inspiration you have given to me in the past few months (and will continue to give me). i'm so happy that i'm on the right course for life!

Jo

Haley said...

I'm new to the blog world, but I enjoy reading your's and learning from some of the things you've learned through the process. Great work, by the way, and I'm so jealous of your arm in the bottoms up press pic!

Tracy Reifkind said...

Christine,

I have been having a little bit of writers block....no "thinkers block", though, lol!

Thanks for the kind words.

Tracy Reifkind said...

Jo,

Now the fun begins! You got the momentum, it gets easier (not easy, but easier), more rewarding and miracles can happen.

Congratulations

Tracy Reifkind said...

haley,

I jealous of my arms in that picture oo, lol! I prefer to use recent photots, but that photo was taken last year (July or Aug) when I weighed 128-129lbs, I now weigh 136-138lbs.

The good news is I have more muscle now, the other news (I won't call it "bad" news, lol), is that I have more fat on top, so I'm currently dieting down...difficult to do given my recent traveling schedule...oh, and yes, my habit of overeating, lol....and I'm excited to be able to see, very soon, all of the hard work I've been doing pay off.

In the mean time, I'm stronger than ever, and my workout are killer!

PS Get your RKC!

Haley said...

Tracy
You've done a heck of a job!! You should be extremely proud of yourself!! I've sent your blog to several people who are struggling with trying to lose weight and get back in shape the healthy way. It's very inspirational.

The more I compare the 2 trainer certs, the more I want the RKC. :) Just can't take off and go do it right now, but it's definitely the goal.

Keep up the good work!

Marty said...

You rock, Tracy. You're an inspiration to my wife and I.

Buffedstuff said...

I just stumbled upon your blog and I must say you have worked very hard and you should be very proud of all your accomplishments. awesome job. You even make kettle bell training look like fun.

Tracy Reifkind said...

kbmarty,

We are all ordinary people capable of extraordinary things.

Tracy Reifkind said...

buffedstuff,

If you keep reading, I predict it's just a matter of time before you're swinging a KB. Nothing else has the potential to change your body so quickly that consistent, progressive KB workouts. Of that fact I'm convinced.

You already get the "food and nutrition" thing, which is also key.