The New & Improved Dora!

A year ago I started a journey, I wanted to lose some weight and trying to become a healthier individual.  Last May 0f 2011 losing weight stopped being my eternal need to feel skinny and became something bigger.  My goal - "I want to be healthy and pain free".  Yes!  Pain free!  

I have been dealing with a pretty "screwed up" lower back for a while now.  And even though I was told that I had a degenerative disc disease back in the early 90's, I was young and naive.  And you know what happens when you are young, right?  NAH! I thought I was immortal!  (The superwoman kicked in!) 

With time, age, bad posture, weight gain and careless behavior, my lower back pain started to have relapses more and more often.  Last May the verdict was pretty bad, my 5 lumbar discs were herniated and the lower thoracic ones were showing signs of degeneration.  Imagine how I felt.  I woke up every single morning feeling some kind of pain, sometimes more or less pain, but it was there and it was constant.  I didn't like it a bit!  

I cried for days, feeling sorry for myself, but soon I got tired of complaining about it, nothing can't be fixed if you just sit and do nothing.  You have to choose quick if you want to be part of the problem or part of the solution.  It was an easy decision for me, my glass is always full!  I'm an eternal optimistic!  

In that very moment I decided to focus on what I could do... So I asked myself, "What can you do to improve your lower back? What would you like to accomplish? What tools are you going to use?  

It was easy, I needed to lose some weight, get some lower back therapy and started to do weight training in order to improve my muscle structure and strength. In summary, focus on everything around that screwed back!  

First I started with my diet.  I decided to start a diet named "The 17 days diet", it's a lot of common sense stuff as it focus like many other diets on eating less processed food, portion control and balance food groups.  I picked this diet because it fits my particular needs at that  point.  I'm the kind of person who needs structure when it comes to diets.  Also, I completed my physical therapy program and started to do more overall exercises.

By Sept 2011 I was 16 pounds lighter and feeling significantly better.  

Something I realized during this process was that in order to make this permanent I needed to change my eating habits permanently.  Following a diet long term won't solve the problem.  People get tired of diets and structures.  That's probably why the trend now is to avoid calling it a "DIET".  

Soon after Sept 2011 my friend Jill Cowart introduced me to Clean Eating magazine and Tosca Reno.  From that moment on, I stop feeling OK and started to feel pretty AWESOME!

Clean eating is another common sense concept, but for most of us doesn't come easy.  After all we are surrounded with temptations, so it's difficult to commit to clean, non processed food, eating.  Clean eating is without a doubt over 60% responsible for how I feel today.  I'm pain free!  I don't take any medication unless I have one tough day and my joints are hurting a little (it happens to everybody!, right?) The other responsible part is my strength training.  

As you see there is no magic pill, intestine cleanse or killing workout.  It's not rocket science.  It's good old clean eating and weight training. 

Right now I'm still on the weight I reached back in September 2011.  I want to lose another few pounds, my goal is 140 pounds.  But you know what, I know it will happen eventually, I'm not in a hurry because I have been working on my health, and good things take time.  I'm way stronger, and slimmer due to my weight training. (and the help, work and motivation of Ms. Lindsey Wallace)

A lots of girlfriends asked me everyday in Facebook what I have been doing, some of them are more interested than others.  All of them want to do something about their weight, how they feel and how they look.  That's the reason why I'm writing this blog.  I would like to share all the resources I have been using in order for you to start your own journey.   Losing weight is a very personal process, you need to prepare and have resources, so you can be successful long term.  

Here are some of the stuff I learned, a few advices and the resources I found useful during my journey: 

First start by getting to know yourself.  Why do you want to lose weight, what do you like about yourself, what do you want to change and why,  what did work in the past while trying to lose weight, what didn't work well.  In my case, I didn't want a diet that block indefinitely certain food or items.  I like my occasional glass of wine, so if a diet treats wine like EVIL, it's not the diet I want to follow.  Sometimes you will have to block stuff while you are learning to control yourself, but it's always good to know that eventually you can have that food you like in moderation and it won't hurt all your hard work.

   

Looking good on your jeans or bikini is a good reason to lose some weight, but you  have to find something more important than that.  Otherwise it won't stick!  As you already know, for me it was about my health. What would motivate you enough?  Your health, your kids, your self esteem, your career?  Find that motivation that will make you commit!  In my opinion, this probably the most important component of the process. 

Find the diet or eating structure that fit your personality.  Now, remember you will need to challenge yourself as well.  You are going to be breaking bad eating habits, it won't be paradise!!  Well, it wont be paradise at the beginning, I promise it will change! 

Find the workout or exercise routine that fit your personality and your lifestyle.  Once you find that, make sure you start slow.  Make sure you alternate your options so you don't get bored.  Research the internet for new ideas and routines.  Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, Kickboxing, Weights, Circuit Training, P90X, Insanity, running, swimming, walking, jogging.  There are so many options, the more alternatives the better!  :)   

Once you are ready to start, remember to set small goals.  Don't focus on the big number first.  Set goals short, medium and long term.  Take before photos, it will help you to realized your accomplishments.  Remember that for girls weigh loss comes in many forms.   You can see changes in your clothes and not on the scale.  Focus and celebrate your small victories!  

   

  

If you cheat on your diet at lunch, don't drop it for the rest of the day.  One meal cheat is better than giving up all!  Try to stick to your diet as much as you can especially at the beginning.  Those first two weeks will be crucial for your long term success.

Tomorrow is always a new day.  You can start all over again.  Just don't give up!

   

 I don't like to keep food logs but I found the next best thing, an accountability partner.  I sent my friend Jill everything I eat on an email every night.  We discuss back and forward what was good, bad and ugly.  We both learn from each other mistakes and gather ideas for meals, exercise and overall eating habits.  Going through the process of "confession" makes you more aware of your areas of improvements, not to mention all that good feedback and motivation you will get from your accountability partner.  

Be patient!  You won't lose all the weight you have gained within the last few years in a week.  Be patient! You will hit many plateaus, and that' ok because it will let you know that you have to shake things up!  

I'm currently going through one right now, and after few weeks I decided to do some changes to my diet and commit to do more cardio.  (I wasn't doing much at all) 

 Celebrate your small victories and share it with the world.  When you eat clean food, you will feel healthy, energetic and beautiful.  You have to feel it to understand it!  Go for it!   

Love Jen Hudson's story.  She found her structure and conquered her goal even when she was facing true life tragedy.  She wanted to become healthier for her baby boy!  A goal bigger than life!!

Resources

• The 17 days diet  - I started buying this book and then move to Eat Clean Diet.  You can also start with Eat Clean Diet right away.
• Eat Clean Diet - Tosca Reno  - I started with the "Eat Clean Diet - Recharged" book and lots of online articles.
•  Clean Eating Magazine - I use this website for recipes but it also has valuable info about the clean eating lifestyle.  The actual hard copy magazine is pretty good.   

• The Gracious Pantry - my favorite recipe website.  You can also find lots of information about how to learn and start the clean eating lifestyle.  Since I started to cook clean I do my own pesto, hummus and granola.  It's WAY better and healthier if you know what's there.  :)
• Clean and Delicious with Dani Spies - If you need visuals to learn, this is a great website.  Dani has a lot of "How to Cook" YouTube videos.  Really good and educational.

Well, what are you going to do?  I think you have enough material to start your journey.  If you need help I will be here to cheer you up.  

I don't know all the answers, I still have difficult days, I still eat some processed food occasionally, but when I fail or fall I just go back straight to my initial goal...  Be healthy and pain free!  That's my north, and motivation enough to stand up, look forward and keep walking towards a healthier lifestyle.    

TOSCA RENO IS MY INSPIRATION

Tosca Reno was overweight and depressed at the age of 40.  Tosca is 53 years old and in addition to be a best selling author, she's a professional body image competitor.  YES! the photos in the background is her in her early 40's!   Freaking amazing!!

Movie - THE AVENGERS

You all knew I was waiting this movie with crazy passion.  I'm not sure why I like super heroes stories... maybe it's the feeling of "saving the day", be relevant, be resourceful or just those freaking abs!! ;)  I know the girls are like - "Hell yeah!".  I do like super heroes movies, and deep inside I think they make me feel like a kid again, and I'm sure that's a feeling we all enjoy. 

The Avengers got SOOOO much marketing and anticipation that I was starting to be a little concern about the content.  Within the last few years we have been hearing about this movie and seeing bit and pieces after all major "super hero" movie.  Expectations were very high and I have to say it didn't disappoint.   WOO HOO!!!

Good story, pretty bad ass special effects, a cast close to perfection and Chris Evans & Chris Hemsworth.  They deserve to be a reason for itself!  :)  

Overall the movie was well done, well balanced and entertaining.  Writers gave each character very good lines, good smart ass lines that I want to learn...  like... "That's the secret... I"m always angry."  What an awesome scene!!!  

Regarding the cast I'm not going to go one by one... they are pretty awesome individually and fortunately they really rock as a team.  I would like to focus on two main characters.  First, Tony Stark aka Iron Man.  HE'S FREAKING PERFECT!!  Robert Downey Jr was born to play Tony Stark, he's perfection!  Seriously!!  Nothing about this character and Robert disappoint.  You have to love when the casting process hit the spot and we enjoy the results.  Robert Downey is on a league of his own, and I'm very happy for him!! 

Now, let's talk about the cute green fella... THE HULK!  I was completely crushed when they left Ed Norton out of the movie The Avengers.  I think his rendition of Hulk few years ago was brilliant.  HE WAS BRUCE BANNER!  Shortly after I found out that Mark Ruffalo was the one replacing Ed Norton.  It felt like Christmas was cancelled.  I was like - "WHAT?" and other things I should not write in here.  I was convinced the movie was ruined beyond repair.  At this point, you already noticed I'm not a Mark Ruffalo's fan.  The reality is that based on previous performances, I don't think he's an actor with acting power. (still not convinced!) 

I'm so glad he proved me wrong!!  Mark Ruffalo played a pretty AWESOME Bruce Banner and I'm so happy I was wrong!  The HULK made this movie really entertaining, not to mentioned he kicked ass!  Still, very deep inside my inner child would like to see Ed Norton playing with the rest of the characters. I would like to overcome that big "if".  But for now I'm grateful Mark Ruffalo made justice to Ed's rendition of Bruce Banner.

Last but not least, Kudos to "Loki" - Tom Hiddleston, who played a pretty disturbed and scary villain.  I would like to see him doing other movies.  I think he will make a brilliant psychopath. 

We all kn0w we will see a sequel in the near future, and I'm really looking forward to it.  The wait was long for the first "AVENGERS" movie, but I have to say that it was totally worth it!  (especially after seeing Chris Evans and Hemsworth in tights!!) :)

Dora - The Housewife!

One of the greatest challenges when I decided to quit my job, back in Puerto Rico in 2005, was dealing with myself.  Yes, dealing with myself and the voices in my head is one of the greatest and most difficult challenges I had to deal with every single day.  So imagine how scared I am about "dealing with myself". (It can be scary! - if you know me well enough!)

I found a way to make it work in Arkansas for few months, even created a paid-job, at the clinic where Jim was doing his fellowship in cosmetic surgery.  It was a lot of fun settling into the "American" life surrounded by a southern accent.  To be honest, back then I wasn't able to understand much.  :)

Then in 2006 we moved again, this time to Maryland.  And once again jobless.  I decided to post resumes for positions in the Federal government but nothing really showed up.  Now, I'm a little grateful about that one... working on Human Resources within the federal government should be like a 24/7 torture.  Yes, 24/7 because I will bring all the stress back home!   After few months, the voices started to challenge me again... You are not good enough, your accent is to prominent, your english is bad, you are not bringing money to the house... etc.  

Fortunately, I decided to take a temp job at Human Resources, and later on got my real estate license.  Voices were silenced for a while. 

I maintained few jobs simultaneously, none of them "relevant enough", at least that what the voices told me!  I wasn't making much money, but I was meeting beautiful people in real estate and the other jobs.  STILL, it wasn't enough.  It took me a while understanding that I was measuring / defining myself based on how much money I made.  Interesting concept.  

I guess that's what happened when you are used to be independent, have a "relevant" job and  the admiration of your friends and family.  Suddenly you are not working and you hear that question that you don't want to hear... "So Dora, What do you do for a living?" and you completely avoid the honest answer...  "I'm a housewife".  OH GOD!  What a problem I still have with that word... not sure why. I was raised by a housewife and know tons of housewives, and I have deep admiration for what they do, especially if they have kids also.  So, not sure why I still have a problem calling myself a housewife. (I think it's related with the "feminism" crap back in the 70's.)

After all those years I was still struggling when we move to Germany.  Once again I had to quit everything I was doing in Maryland and start all over in Germany.  And the voices started to torture me again.  

Last year, my lower back injury got a little more complicated.  I have degenerative disk disease, well me and a lot of other people all over the world.  The problem is that I have 41 years old, my brain 25, most of my body 35 and my lower back 80!  Get the picture?  A little frustrating on rainy days!! (which are a LOT in Germany!!)  Well, long story short I got my last MRI results in May and the lower back is pretty screwed up.  That week, I cried... A LOT!  And after crying for few days I decided to do something important for myself.  

There is not much you can do with that condition... it's what it is. So I focused on what I can do... Lose weight, strengthening my muscles and become a healthier version of myself.  It worked out, 6 months later I was 16 pounds lighter and feeling way better.  I added a more strict eating routine (clean eating) and strength training during the last 5 months, and my life is even better now than a year ago.  

The voices were there all the time... "look for a job", "you are useless", "your brain in dying"... They can get that nasty... really!!  But something happened few weeks ago.  

I realized that I'm healthier now than in any other time in my life.  I said healthier, not thinner!! I feel incredibly strong, I have a level of energy that I appreciate, and I'm NOT in constant back  pain.  My muscles are strong enough to support my lower back.  In that very moment, I told my voices... I won't feel like this, I won't have this energy or strength if I didn't have all this free time to figure it out.  

I have to add that since the very moment Jim and I married, he always encouraged me to do what I want, what I like.  He let me explore new opportunities and support my crazy ideas.  Sometimes he called himself the person who "DESTROYED MY SUCCESSFUL CAREER"... and I hate when he said that, because he really SAVED me in so many ways.  I was a successful but unhappy workaholic before I met Jim, I don't even want to start thinking where I would be if I haven't met Jim.  Jim has always been my voice of peace.  

Ok, let me wrap this up... the voices are still there and they get up every once in while to torture me.  The difference now is that I don't let them bring me down.  Now, I can talk back at them.  I listen to what they have to say and then I let them know all the good things that I learn, do and enjoy because I'm a housewife (still difficult to say!-working on it).

Do I want to go back to work when we move to the US? HECK YES!  But I have 1 or 2 years to realize what I want to do, maybe even go back to school while I'm here and keep reinventing myself. I'm investing all that time in making my family healthier and stronger. 

I decided that I wanted to be thankful, grateful and happy for this gift, rather than fighting it.
I'm a housewife and I like it. (most of the time!)  Shame on you - Feminist Movement for making me feeling guilty saying that word!  :)

... and to my hubby - "Honey, I'm very happy!  I love you with all my heart!  Don't worry about me, I'm fine."     

Movie - ACT OF VALOR

A movie about the US military that doesn't portrait our military as a bunch of unstable individuals, or the CIA as a the sum of all evil?   

It was hard for me to believe that such a movie could exist in Hollywood these days.

I'm not saying that I like the war or that I think that our government makes the best decision when it comes to foreign policies all the time, but why our military reputation or the reputation of any security based agency has to be tarnished by the decision of very few.  After all, we all have our bad moments, bad calls, that doesn't make us evil, right?

All that being said, I want to say that this is a movie every single American citizen should see.  It's not about politics, it's not about agencies, it's not about our government.  Act of Valor is about real life acts of valor, those acts that a few who believe in our country and what stands for, are willing to make even at the cost of their own lives. 

The movie has been harshly criticized by many.  People are focusing their criticism on acting quality, story and main purpose behind the movie.  I just can't understand why people can't see the movie for what it is.  Act of Valor is a real life tale of an extraordinary group of men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and all of us who enjoy our country way of life.  

Act of Valor is a very good movie considering it didn't have all the budget most action flicks have now a days.  Navy seals members were played by real Navy Seals (YES! real life Active Duty Navy Seals), the story was nicely developed considering it takes into consideration real missions and the overall filming was pretty realistic. 

Do I think the acting deserve an Oscar? No 

Do I think the movie deserve an Oscar? Oh well, if movies like "No country for Old Men" won an Oscar anything goes, right?

What I think Act of Valor, as a movie, deserve is our respect.  Go and see the movie for what it is, a tale of courage, valor and love for your country.  Celebrate the lives of those who died for your country's freedom, not a political belief.  

It's a movie difficult to see, and it's difficult to see because it's real, it happens everyday out there while we enjoy our lives peacefully.  

After seeing this movie I slept a little bit better, felt a little bit more secure and felt a lot more proud of those who serve and their families.  I will be eternally thankful because there are many men out there willing to preserve our safety, our peace and our freedom. 

If you don't have anything good to say about this movie, at least be grateful for what our military does for our country.  Remember, you can always move to another...  :)

 

Oscar's Night

Oscar's night 1999...

A glass of wine, plenty of appetiziers and my BFF's. Titanic was nominated for Best Movie.

Oscar's night 1983...

A soda, some chips and my mom.  E.T. was nominated for Best Movie.

One thing I missed about being away from the US and Puerto Rico is the opportunity to watch the Oscars with family and good friends.

This year while watching an "encore" of the Oscars (a night later in Germany) I certainly remembered those days.  It was a classic Oscar's night and on top of that Billy Crystal hosted the show, what else you can ask for.  RIGHT?  And even when it was a rerun, and I didn't have my BFF's and family around, the emotions were still very familiar.  

It's still exciting watching "first timers" finding out they got the Oscar, still emotional witnessing a winner thanking their parents and still heart-breaking realizing that so many talents are not with us anymore.  

I grew up loving Hollywood, its stars and craziness.  This love connects me with my mom, with my friends and it's part of who I am.  

Today, "The Oscar goes to... my mom and my BFF's"  

For sharing the love and passion I have for the movies; and for creating memories that will live with me forever, but particularly make me smile today.