[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version.]
My husband and I have been playing tennis during the summer for the past few years. This year we started a bit late in the season. It was staying lighter later in the evenings, but neither of us had mentioned tennis. I thought it would be a good idea to play again, but also had many contradictory thoughts. My back hurt, it was too hot, tennis was too much work. Blah, blah, blah. So rather than bring it up, I waited to see if my husband would get around to suggesting it.
Meanwhile I was secretly hoping he’d forget!
Inevitably, the day came when he asked if I wanted to play the next day. To which I simply replied, “Sure.”
Had my thoughts and feelings changed about it?
Nope. Had my backed stopped hurting? Nope.
Read the rest of this entry »
[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version.]
As you may have guessed from the name of my blog (What Did You Do With Jill?) I have changed. A lot. At this point (over 3 years into my personal transformation) I barely remember the old me. Still, every now and then I will think or say something about myself that isn’t really true anymore. Old habits die hard, I guess.
Or do they? Read the rest of this entry »
[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version.]
This past Sunday (May 1, 2016) marked 3 years since I began my transformational journey. What started as a simple decision to lose weight, has culminated in a whole new me–both physically and mentally.
Here’s a recap: Read the rest of this entry »
[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version. See also the corresponding half-hour audio talk on this topic.]
What keeps you from getting fit?
What keeps you from eating healthfully?
When you are fit and healthy, what keeps you from staying that way? Read the rest of this entry »
[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version.]
It’s been over 2 years since I embarked on my personal transformational journey. What started out as a simple decision to lose weight, has taken me on a magical mystery tour of mega proportions. I’m still amazed at how that one decision could lead to transformation in so many areas of my life. Read the rest of this entry »
[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version.]
Okay. I admit it. I’m somewhere within the second half of my life. Does this mean my life transformation has been part of a “Midlife Crisis”? I shudder at the thought. No crisis here! But I can see how the deep inner desire for change I experienced could be unsettling for some.
It’s clear that women in their 50’s seem to have some innate desire for change. Some do nothing (but complain) when those desires hit, others go hog wild and completely uproot their lives. Others, pursue their desires in a way that is positive and helpful. I like to think I’m in the latter group.
Midlife crises are often depicted in popular culture in a cliched manner. Career changes, leaving a spouse and taking up yoga seem to be some of the more popular cliches. Let’s examine these and see how valid they are. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jill Whalen | Posted in Healthy Eating, Thought | Posted on 28-11-2014
[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version.]
When I was recently at the 3PGC Three Principles Conference, at one point I was chatting with a few new friends over a glass of wine. I happened to mention that I had lost 25 lbs. about a year ago and was asked how I did it. My response was “I just decided to.” I had intended to go into the logistics, i.e., counting calories, doing more exercise, etc., but the waitress had interrupted, and the conversation took a new turn. Later in the evening my friend told me that she loved my answer on how I lost weight.
That’s when I realized–all I really did was make a Decision. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jill Whalen | Posted in Food, Healthy Eating, Recipes | Posted on 21-08-2014
Yep, this bagel is grain-free! (Note that it does use Greek Yogurt so this version is not dairy-free.)
After I made my paleo toast recipe last week, I couldn’t stop thinking about whether or not it would be possible to also make a grain-free bagel! So I checked Pinterest, and sure enough there were some recipes. Rather than follow any particular one (they all seemed to have ingredients I don’t have on hand or prefer not to use), I decided to modify my toast recipe instead. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jill Whalen | Posted in Food, Healthy Eating, Recipes | Posted on 15-08-2014
Healthy Paleo Toast With Avocado!
Before I read “Wheat Belly
” I had many morning breakfasts that consisted of a piece of Ezekiel Sesame Seed Toast with half an avocado mushed on top. It was amazingly delicious and I thought it was healthy. But the more I learned about wheat, the more it started to sound like poison to me, even in its sprouted form like with the Ezekiel bread.
Because of that, lately my healthy breakfasts have mainly consisted of my delicious and filling mug muffins. However, while eating them recently I realized that the consistency was so bread-like that it I could probably create some sort of bread recipe with a few modifications. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jill Whalen | Posted in Food, Healthy Eating, Recipes | Posted on 12-08-2014
Yummy and Healthy Banana Mug Muffin
If you’ve been reading my blog or following me on Facebook for any length of time, you probably know that I’m obsessed with single-serving microwaved mug muffins for breakfast. I eat one pretty much every day. The ones I make are soooooo healthy as they’re chock full of vitamins and micronutrients due to the use of coconut oil, ground flax seeds, and nut flours. But more than that, they just taste so damn good! Read the rest of this entry »
[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version.]
As I was running home from my yoga class today (a hot and humid day) I was marveling at the fact that not only did I not mind the run, I was rather enjoying myself. It’s times like that where even I wonder “What did you do with Jill?”
During my run, I started thinking about the many other ways in which the current me is unrecognizable from the me that I was just one year ago. I came up with the following 17 things that you would not have seen me do last summer: Read the rest of this entry »
By Jill Whalen
Be it in salads or side dishes or just a healthy lunch, I love adding fruits and nuts to my veggies! They add so much flavor and character and go so well with just about any vegetable. I had been using dried fruits during the colder months, but now that summer is here and fresh ones are more abundant (and affordable) I’m using them when I have them on hand.
Below are a few of the recent lunches I’ve made for myself which you could easily recreate!
[Added: I decided to continuously add new creations to this post as I create them, so be sure to check back now and again!]
I love brussels sprouts for lunch. While I could certainly eat them with just a bit of garlic, they’re much tastier paired with the little sweetness that fruits and nuts can give. This one didn’t have fresh fruit in it, but was extremely flavorful, nonetheless: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jill Whalen | Posted in Food, Healthy Eating, Nutrition | Posted on 05-06-2014
Before I changed my lifestyle, got healthy and lost 25 lbs., I ate out pretty much every night. Not only that, I’d generally eat my leftovers from the night before for my lunch. And because I didn’t know better, those meals weren’t generally very healthy ones.
These days, I always prepare my own healthy breakfasts and lunches at home, and cook dinner a couple of times a week, but I still eat dinner out the rest of the nights. Though I’m no longer trying to lose weight, it’s very important to me to eat healthy foods as much as possible. I eat almost no refined sugars and keep my grain consumption to a minimum. If/when I do have grains I prefer to stick with something like quinoa or brown rice as opposed to pasta and breads. (This is not to say I don’t eat the others at all, I just try to have them maybe once or twice a week rather than every day and/or with every meal.)
This makes eating at restaurants a bit of a challenge, if not a temptation! Read the rest of this entry »
I am definitely enamored with the deliciousness and healthiness of paleo muffins than can be made in just a few minutes in the microwave. Ever since I learned about them, I’ve had them for breakfast almost every day! (I even made a savory one which I provided the recipe for here.) They’ve replaced my previous go-to breakfasts of oatmeal with fruit in it or sesame Ezekiel toast with avocado on it, as I have cut way down on grains.
Paleo Blueberry Mug Muffin
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jill Whalen | Posted in Food, Healthy Eating, Nutrition | Posted on 16-05-2014
There’s so much information about weight loss out there that it can be really confusing to people who’ve never attempted it. Now that it’s been a year since I decided to lose weight and become healthier I have a bit of wisdom on the subject that I’d like to share.
Here are 3 misconceptions that you may have about losing weight: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jill Whalen | Posted in Food, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Yoga | Posted on 01-05-2014
One year ago today (May 1, 2013) I took my body back.
I could no longer ignore the fact that I was…okay I’ll say it…fat. It’s amazing how many buttons I could burst through, mirrors I could turn away from, jiggles I could ignore, and photos I could somehow believe the camera was adding 10 (or 25) lbs. (See before and afters at the end of this post.) Read the rest of this entry »
Hey everyone! Here’s what I learned last week:
Monday, Mar. 31, 2014
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Healthy, Savory Muffin Made in a Mug!
How to make the mug muffins I learned about last week into savory ones: I first sauteed some mushroom, onion, spinach, and uncured turkey bacon (which appeared to basically be ham). Then added them into a coffee mug, along with some feta cheese to 2 tblsp. ground flax seed, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 egg (beaten), 1/4 tsp. salt. Then I microwaved on high for 2 minutes (I have an old microwave which needs more time than newer, more powerful ones). Waited a minute or so to cool and the whole thing dumps right out onto a plate. I found that sticking the whole thing in the toaster oven for a few minutes helps dry it out a bit when it’s done as well. Yummy, healthy breakfast that keeps me full for many hours!
Read the rest of this entry »
Last week I had some delicious healthy food (ate out at both a vegetarian Indian restaurant and a Moroccan one (not vegetarian), as well as some interesting insights. Here’s some of what I learned:
Monday, Mar. 24, 2014
Tuesday, Mar. 25, 2014
Here’s what I learned last week:
Monday March 17, 2014
- If you start a Meetup group and don’t pay right away, you’ll likely get a 50% off coupon in your email the next day! (I started a local group to find others to discuss the principles of mind, thought and consciousness. If you’re in the Metrowest area of Mass. and are interested, please join in!)
- The 10 Universal Principles of the Yoga Code.
- Sometimes it’s hard to remember that we don’t need to look outside of ourselves for love. Read the rest of this entry »
I learned a lot more this week about Mind, Thought and Consciousness and living “from the inside out” as described by Michael Neill and others. Understanding the principles behind how life actually works can and will transform anyone’s life. I’d love to discuss this understanding with anyone else who’s interested. Feel free to contact me!
Here’s what else I learned last week:
Monday, Mar. 10, 2014
- There’s no psychological trauma that can’t be “cured” by changing your relationship to the memories that originally caused the trauma. – George Pransky (paraphrased).
Read the rest of this entry »
