Checking in :)

Haven't posted in a while, but all is well!

John and I have both allowed ourselves a more lenient program- we eat at restaurants, have the occasional desert, and are allowing more fruit into our diets (especially with our new dehydrator!) We continue to eat dairy and too many servings of nuts and nut products every day, but we also eat great quality meat, lots of veggies, and overall continue to feel great. We both gained back a few pounds, and know that for definition we need strength training and for more weight loss we need better and more slow and steady exercise as well as less treats, nuts, and dairy.

The key is that we are happy! We like to cook, like to shop for food and like to eat. We go to the farmer's market and Sprouts almost exclusively, with the occasional binge of meat at Rainbow Ranch Farm or supplements from Costco.

I have broken out the crock pot and made both beef strew and pork butt roast. I have made green chile sauce pork chops on the stove, and we totally under-cooked our long sought after bone-in-skin-on turkey breast (though our gracious guest ate her pan finished slices of breast meat most politely and forgave us!)

I continue to sleep better, get up earlier, and have more consistent energy throughout the day. I do my yoga, work on my spiritual health, and strive to be a better me. I treasure my support system, I treasure my home, and I treasure my body. I am moving along, getting humbled and joyous and scared and grateful, learning and growing and stretching my comfort zone.

I am going on a little vacation this weekend for an art retreat- 24 hours of me-time in the car listening to books and meditating and relaxing (with stops to stretch and much primal snacking! :D)

I am looking forward to my future and reminding myself to stay present and appreciate NOW

My freezer is packed with meat and veggies, my pantry is bare with necessities and no ready-snacks that I eat when I am not hungry.

Hoping life is blessed and healthy for all my readers, and sending you a big HAPPY MONDAY! :)

Barefoot Hiking

On Sunday I went on my favorite hike on Mt Baldy with Mr Brutus. This hike is much harder at the very beginning, and at about 1/3 of the way calms down to just moderate difficulty. I was able to take the entire beginning of the hike to that 1/3 mark without stopping. I have a nice, steady, and cautious trudging pace (this is actually the only place I have ever seen a rattlesnake). I stopped at "Resting Rock" and had some water before heading on. At "Little Stump Altar", a small stump with it's middle cored out into a bowl (for forest offerings), I dropped a kiss into it, and took off my shoes and socks. Hiking barefoot was wonderful because the craggy and jagged rocks are mostly located during the first third of the hike, and I was right next to a creek I have dipped my feet and tossed Brutus into. The sound of the trickling water and the sunlight filtering through the leaves all seemed so vivid, and I was kept very present as I could feel so much with each step. The earth was cold in the shade, and wonderfully warm in the sun. The ground was not hard on my feet as long as I took gentle and deliberate steps. Because I was listening to my feet, I felt much more immersed in my environment. When I reached "Brutus' Lookout" I sat and had a snack and gave him some water. I like this hike because I usually pass 4-5 people, so if anything were to happen there is a high chance someone will come around (there are plenty of steep hills to tumble down). I brought my day pack equipped with survival supplies. On the way down, it was much harder to be barefoot as walking downhill involves plopping so much more weight and force to your steps, so I put my shoes back on. Even today my shins are a little sore (which I love!) and I was able to do some great meditating. I felt refreshed and revitalized afterwards.

I am eager to get some minimalist/barefoot shoes so that I can feel the ground - even if not the warmth and cool as much, and walk with more confidence. I work to take my shoes off at work, especially with my half-time standing workstation. I walk around in socks most the time at work and at home :)

Eating and sleeping and life and love are all quite well otherwise. I picked up a wonderful package from Rainbow Ranch Farms - Kunekune pork butt roast and shoulder roast and bacon and loins and beef T-bones and short ribs. John made another 5lb batch of grass-fed chili that came out perfect, especially with some of his almond-meal biscuits crumbled in.

Life is blessed
namaste