Supernatural Botanicals

“We write to taste life twice, once in the moment and once in retrospection.”  Anais Nin

Journaling is my thing.  I started journaling when I seriously started working out, about six years ago.  Initially, it was for tracking purposes only; Wednesday I do cardio, Thursday I do upper body, Friday I do lower body, etc.  Then I realized how beneficial it was to record my meals.  When you start keeping track of your caloric intake, it gives you a huge look inside yourself.  When your skin is starting to look bad, you can look back and see what’s going on in your life.  Are you eating too much junk food?  Too many glasses of champagne?  The answers are all right there, you just have to find them.

My journaling went one step further.  It started innocently enough, just notating if I had a headache that day, noting any blemishes or anything strange happening.  Not only did I get to know my body really well, I got to know my own mind better. 

Why did I always seem to be super moody one day a month and very weepy?  Why do I get a blemish about every third or fourth month right in the same place?  Why did I feel like I could eat like an animal some days, while other days I’d barely take any calories in and felt great?  Why was the libido through the roof on some days of the month?  Well, the short answer is hormones.  But I was never able to understand why my body was doing what it was until I started tracking it in my journal.   It turns out, those problems happened the same day, month after month.  It’s sort of like a science experiment.  Guess, test, and revise. 

You can also go one step further and write your feelings down.  It’s really cool to reflect on old postings and say to yourself, this is where I was, then.  This is what was happening in my life, good or bad, and this is how I dealt with it.  As if it’s a guide saying, this is what worked in the past for me….this is what didn’t. 

Journaling is definitely one of those things that you don’t “get” until you try it.  It’s a huge gift to have that sort of insight, to reflect on yourself.   Try to wrap your brain around it and get started.  You’ll love it once you get going. 

There are online journals, such as www.LiveJournal.com.  I generally prefer to type over handwriting, but in this instance, I like writing things down.   It just feels more cathartic somehow.   I can appreciate a beautiful journal.  I adore beautiful books and journals, and it’s always the perfect gift for me. 

Check out the journal section next time you are at the bookstore and purchase your favorite one.  Get into journaling.  It’s like a window, looking inside yourself.  It’s an easy and powerful way to accelerate your personal development.

   It’s hard work burning 500 measly calories off your stomach and thighs.  A quick trip to McDonald’s drive-thru can have you working out….and hard, if you’re not cognizant about the caloric content.  For instance, a Big Mac (just the sandwich…no fries or drink) is 540 calories!  540 CALORIES!!  A Premium Crispy Chicken sandwich is 530 calories.  A Quarter-Pounder with cheese is 510 calories.  Chicken Select Premium Breast Strips are a whopping 660…add an extra 200-400 calories for dipping sauce.  And a Double Quarter-Pounder with Cheese is a grotesque 740 calories!   eck!   Mind you, these are just the sandwiches.  No fries involved here.  No drinks involved here.  So the next time you are tempted to eat this way, look at the chart below and realize how long you are going to have to hit the elliptical or do aerobics just to burn that one fattening sandwich off.  

I will say, I like that McDonald’s does have their nutritional info readily available on their website.  There are better choices.   My secret weapon was going to a hamburger from a cheeseburger.   Fifty calories slashed immediately.  Throw a bit more ketchup and mustard or onions on there if you feel like it’s lacking.  A grilled chicken snack wrap is only 270 calories.   Check out all their nutritional info here  http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal/nutrition_facts.html

 And start keeping a journal of what you are eating every day.  Jot EVERY single thing down…right down to the breath mints which also have calories.  Get real with yourself.  You might be surprised how many calories you really are taking in. 

If you expend 500 more calories than you consume each day, you’ll drop a pound a week. Not a bad return on your exercise investment. Here, how long it will take, doing your favorite activities, to hit the magic number.