Ok, another new start? But isn't that what each new day brings?

The alarm clock rang at 530 am this morning. I turned and thought about turning it off, but I had made a commitment to myself that I would go to the beach. I dragged myself out the door and I headed to South Park to see the sunrise. A couple passing showers on the way brought doubts into my plan, but I continued.

I made it to the Bach and parked and still no sunrise. I met some friends , and walked with them, but the sunrise was not not happening. I left my friends and headed back towards my car when the sun peaked out of the horizon. It was beautiful. I kept seeing people I knew. I kept taking pictures . As I walked  I thought how I had missed the mornings that I would get up to just do the same thing for so many years. On the way back I ran into Mario , this man I know from the beach for so many years. He always shakes my hand with his left hand, his right is always in his pocket. After speaking to me and catching up he pulls out his hand and he is holding a rosary I made for him many years ago. What a surprise and a blessing that not only has he touched my life but I touched his life also. The people I ran into today we're all reminders of how we are all connected. No one comes into my life without a purpose and I am thankful to I sometimes get to find out that purpose before they leave me.

I was reminded to not be so hard on myself . To enjoy the journey . That there is always tomorrow or start anew of a mess up today. But the most important thing that I felt in my heart that yes it possible to reach one's goals no matter had difficult it might seem. Each day can be magical, but I have to see the magic and be part of the magic too.

Is it too early to,worry ?

I could not believe that I had not posted anything this year yet. I was so faithful in posting my thoughts. Not that I thought many would see them but that I had them recorded for future reference. Again, I feel I am in a slump. My resolve to eat a healthy lifestyle has twinkled, and I know I want to get back to it  but it is just harder then I anticipated . This morning I made plans to get up early and see the sunrise on the beach and do some miles, but I slept in. I just feel I am drifting with no place or goal to aim for.

My job is sufficiently stable and my mom is relatively  healthy but I see her slowly deteriorating and so I worry that I won't be able to take care of her as I should. I worry, I eat. I am also having one of those milestone birthdays in a few months and I worry that I can't do the things I use to do before. I know it is easier to say that God will take care of everything ., but still easier said then done. As I wrapped my head around leaving a a leaner lifestyle and making some changes in my life, I started to do something I had thought about but had never seriously done it. I started to write a book, is it fiction, nonfiction. I don't know , I know that I just write a s write . At the end I will figure what spin I will put on it. Or even if it is worth publishing. I am also developing some short term goals and long term goals. Moreno that at a later date.

I have enjoyed my blogs and they have proven useful,not on,t to me but to others as well. Let me know if you enjoy them, hopefully with your feedback I can write about topics that are not only relevant to me but also interesting to a wider reader base. Keep me in your prayers as I keep you in me. And have a very Happy , Safe 4 the of July!

Coming into a routine...

Ok, so the excitement of losing a substantial amount of weight and the new way of eating is quickly losing its charm. I only lost one pound this week, and I have fallen into a routine of eating, so it is not as exciting anymore. Not that I am going back to eating that e way I used to, because I keep finding new recipes to try, and keep making new palates to alleviate or eliminate any cravings I might have for my old lifestyle.

My exercise and training have also fallen into the same routine. I walk at least 5 times a week. Yesterday I did the Color Run which is 3.1 miles, but Shari and I kept going back and forth with the groups we were in and so it turned out the I did over 4 miles in the race. Also I went out today and did 4.12 miles at a faster pace. I also went out after 8:30 am so that I start getting use to the heat of summer here in Florida. Psychologically have to start getting ready, you know how I hate heat and humity as I train.

I have decided that instead of walking in the evening when I am tired, I am going to start getting up earlier on work days and exercising the 30-40 minutes before work. That way I will be fresh and hopefully will go faster. I will let you know next week how this changed worked, or if it happened at all.

During the next couple of weeks, I hope to share how eating paleo has changed my eating habits and maybe this will ncourage you to look at it and possibly try it. One thing I can say that for sure it will make you feel better, no matter how healthy you think you are eating now.

Continue to live the best that you can, and until we meet again, keep smiling and enjoying life.

Labs, Doctor and training...

As I hinted before, I was going to the doctor last Friday. I had labs drawn a week before and so I knew that my blood levels were significantly better then a year ago. My AC1 which measure diabetes was 8.5 last year, full blown diabetes. This year it was 5.7, only a point away for normal and so I was minimally pre diabetic. My blood sugar went from 200 to 90. My triglycerides went from over 200 to 98. My cholesterol was better , although good cholesterol is still low. My liver enzymes are normal now. So overall improvement.

Bottom line, my doctor was pleased not only with weight loss but with the overall improvement in blood work. He took off one of my blood pressure medications, by he way that has gone down too. And cut my diabetic medications in half. Why not cut them off completely? I was wondering that e same thing, but with my history of yo young on weight loss, he thought it be best to see how I am six months from now. I can deal with that because , like I told him , this time I am not going back to the old lifestyle.  See if I try eating the wrong foods now, my body does not react well to it so I know what I have done. That never happened before.

So yesterday, 4/16/16 I  started my trading for NYC marathon with the blessing form you doctor too. I did 3.64 miles and today I did 4.12 miles at a 15:13 pace. Pretty good for just starting off. I plan to used Jeff Galloway's setup,until FIT starts again in May , I am returning as an assistant coach to the Ft Lauderdale group. I am looking forward to it.

Well enough of the technical stuff, hopefully next blog installments will be more philosophical and introspective. I look forward to sharing my journey with you. Stay tuned, I will write again at least weekly. Enjoy and smile....

Sometimes, it is better to wipe the slate clean....

I know it has been awhile, since I wrote anything here. I guess I was to a point that I did not think I had anything worthwhile to write. Well not that I think that many things have changed, but I know it is time to get back to it again. Like my title says, sometimes it is better to wipe the slate clean and start again. I have learned though, that although that is possible in my spiritual life because of the love, forgiveness and mercy of God, it is better to look black and learn from my mistakes in my personal life; and then move forward.

The last year and a half of my life have been filled with turmoil, challenges, heart breaks and many blessings indeed. About a year ago, I was unemployed , in a deaconate program that only caused me uneasiness and anxiety. And I had regained the weight I had, had such a hard time to lose. Because of everything I had stopped training and even walking. I had no time for anything. It has been a year now that, I got a great job, which makes me happy to go to everyday, and last November I left the deaconate program which also lessen my anxiety and brought me to a better emotional and spiritual state. Let's just say that it was not the right "fit" for me.

I was still fat, unhealthy and not thinking that I would be able to walk much anymore. Well that was until the end of the year, when I saw Marcela was looking for a new coaching team in Coral Springs training for a half marathon in March. I started at the beginning of January to train in Coral Springs. I was still overweight, but I had started to live and eat the paleo lifestyle. Well I faithfully trained not for speed but for endurance. I did finish the training and completed the half marathon. That was my new start, the time for that race was my new PR, because anything I did years ago really doesn't count right now. During the process, I signed up for the NYC marathon lottery, and guess what I got in.

So your guess is right, now start my blogs on my training for this marathon in November. I am 45 pounds lighter then I was in January and a lot healthier and happier. There will be another post soon as I start my training and my visit to the doctor to tell me how healthy or not that I am.

Hope to see you here soon.....

2013??? Well, Happy New Year!!

Can you believe it, it has been a year since I was sitting here discussing my goals and resolutions for 2012.  Has the year seemed to go faster then I would have liked or expected?  It seems my folks were right when they said that as I grew older time would seem to go by faster.  Well, it was just a day ago when I wrote about my shortcomings and accomplishments in 2012 , so I won't bored you with that again.

Today I want to concentrate on what I will be doing to become a better person in 2013.  2013 holds a lot of hope for me, but then on the first day of each new year the hope is the same.  I have a clean slate to continue to draw the picture of my life.  As I pondered this during the night I came across this very thought provoking meditation.. So I decided to write it our for all of you too.  You might have seen it before, but I think it is definitely worth another look, especially at this moment in time.

My Name is I AM.

I was regretting the past, and fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking: "My name is I Am".
He paused. I waited. He continued.
"When you live in the past,with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I WAS.
When you live in the future, with its problems and fears,it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I WILL BE.
When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here.
My name is I AM.

So you see anything I write after that is pointless.  I do want to be healthier, wiser and holier.  The specifics I am going to have to leave it up to HIM.  My first aim is to be holy. I know that from there I will be healthier because I will not continue to abuse my body because I will come to value it as the holy temple it was meant to be.  I will be given the wisdom so that I can serve God in better ways this year.

One thing I will try to be is a better brother and uncle.  Through God's compassion,mercy and love I reconciled with my brother and his family at Christmas.  I was able to visit with my twin nieces after 4 years of being absent in their lives. I could never have gotten a better Christmas present.

What can you take from this?  Nothing is impossible for God. Continue to seek His Will in all you do. I am grateful that you are part of journey.  I pray for a very healthy and love filled NEW YEAR for you and those you love.
Buen Camino.