Hello Everyone! Wow does time pass by quickly!  I totally meant to post last week, then all of a sudden, the week was gone – Oye Vey!  Anyways, as I attempt to create this blog post from a computer with a bad space bar on the keyboard, I must say that Boston is pretty cool.  I am here for the ACPA conference (http://convention.myacpa.org/) which is my first professional conference not related to enrollment management.  I must say, it is different and I love it.  The highlight for me thus far has been a session on Masculinity led by Dr. Michael Kimmel, a Sociologist out of SUNY – Stony Brook.   He is also the author of a book I’m really looking forward to reading called, Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men. Check it out if you’re interested.

So, as I said before, Boston has been fun.  I chose not to stay at the host hotel, so I’ve been getting dome extra exercise by making the 1 mile trek back and forth to the conference center.  It is great, especially if you enjoy people watching as I do (especially in big cities).  I also love the great public transportation and riding the subway around to to see everything I want to see.  I’ll be staying a couple of extra days after the conference to take in more of the city and I’ll try to let you know a little more about that next time.

Well, I’ll leave it at that for now, since I need to head to another session soon but let me leave you with one of my favorite recipes that I’ve adapted to be healthier.  If you like Oatmeal raisin cookies, you’ll definitely enjoy this variation on the classic – ENJOY!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Blend in the oatmeal and toffee bits. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely

Hello All.  I know it’s been a minute since I’ve blogged.  It really is amazing how time can so easily get away from you.  As we approach the waning weeks of winter term, I find myself lamenting – once again – the quarter system.  It really creates an atmosphere of prioritizing the urgent over the important and in many ways stunts our students’ ability to really grow and engage both in and out of the classroom.  I have now dealt with it as both a graduate student and a professional and I must say, I often long for the days of semesters.  Anyone who knows me would not be surprised to hear my preference on this front, but alas, on to more important things.

For me, I am feeling good and feel like I am keeping in balance all of the most important things in life.  I had a great weekend the weekend before last down in San Francisco for the international Cuban Salsa Festival where I saw some amazing dancers, learned from some unbelievable instructors and performed for my first time alongside and in front of some of the most amazing performers out there.  Additionally, in the midst of all of the fun, dancing, partying and driving, I somehow have managed to avoid getting sick (knock on wood) despite the fact that everyone else around seem to be dropping like flies.  Here a video of the performance if you’re interested.

YouTube DirectRumbanana performance

I have also had the opportunity to meet with a personal trainer through Dixon Rec. Services.  The student I met with was great and has put together a program that hits on all of the things I wanted.  One of those things is to work towards actually being able to do a pull up.  I have never been able to do one and the back workout he has for me is awesome.  Just like I asked, it is short, intense and body weight driven and I can confidently say that my back has not seen this kind of work in at least 11 years (since I stopped playing football) and has not hurt so good for as long as I can remember.  The rest of the workout is great as well and is really contributing to me reaching for that second gear I spoke about previously.  Thanks a ton Tyler – I’ll look forward to our next time together in a few weeks.  Oh, if you want information about seeing a trainer through dixon, visit the following link – http://oregonstate.edu/recsports/1%3A1-fitness.

I’m slowly losing weight again and am creeping towards that overall weight of 50 lbs (since Jan 2009) – only 3 lbs to go!  In an effort to reduce my meat consumption, I have committed to 3 days a week of no meat.  Two weeks in, this has not been too bad but I am now needing to work towards being more thoughtful ahead of time for those days as I’m already getting bored with my food options.  If anyone has good ideas for good vegetarian lunch and dinner ideas not involving tofu, peanut butter or too much cheese, please send them my way.

Thanks team and everyone out there showing their support.   Talk to you soon…

-Danté

So, I must say that while I have not really lost a lot of ground since the challenge has started, I’m not sure that I have actually gained much either.   I have managed to keep my weight stable and I continue to work out but I have, for the moment at least, lost that drive to push a bit more.  This is both with my workouts as well as with holding myself accountable for my eating.

All in all, I still think I am doing well, particularly when it comes to portion control and staying conscious of what and how much of both good and bad things I am putting in my body.  In particular, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, I do exceptionally well.  I even do well in terms of preparing dinner in the evening.  Where I really seem to be sabotaging myself though is with snacking.  I know I probably should just go to bed or just ask myself if I am actually hungry but I must say, this bad habit has picked up steam once again and it is to my detriment.  I know that this week needs to encompass some serious reflection as well as cleansing of the cupboards to clear away the worst of temptations.  I know I also need to get back to a regular routine of shopping, particularly for fruit and vegetables so that at least I have the healthy stuff around for snacking if I do so.  I’m also looking forward to meeting with a nutritionist on campus this week in order discuss what I am doing well and what I can still do better.

On the exercise front, I am still doing what I am supposed to but things are getting a little stale.  I know it is time to find something new to do and I’m looking forward to my first appointment with a physical trainer at Dixon this week.  More importantly, I think I’m struggling to leave work in the office for the hour or so that I intend to dedicate each day to work out.  Meetings and the growing list of “stuff” are certainly pushing me away from my schedule but I also know that this fight is really what is most important, especially if I can get through it all.  Now that football season is officially over, I no longer have an excuse for vegging out on the weekends.  I intend to do a lot more activity on this front in the weeks to come while also dedicating significantly more time to music as well.

I feel like I’m just learning to drive a standard transmission and as I approach the bottom of the next hill, I’m getting through the most difficult part of starting but for some reason, it keeps slipping and grinding as I attempt to move into second.   I’m trying to get refocused and stop grinding the gears and I feel I am ready to take the next step but I know if it will be difficult.  The journey has been good thus far, so let’s hope the next phase will be even better!

Now, a few folks from my team have talked about sharing healthy recipes that we like.  Here is one of my favorites from my partner’s family that has been adapted to be healthier.  Sorry I do not know the actual fat, calorie, and fiber breakdown bit I do know the Weight Watchers point impact for those who are on that program.  Bon Apetite!

-Danté

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

Ingredients

Instructions

combine mayo, flour & curry powder in 2 qt sauce pan.
gradually add milk, stirring with wisk
cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened
add 1 c cheese and stir ’til melted
place broccoli in 7×10 pan, cover with chicken
pour sauce to cover & top with rice chex.
bake 30 min
sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Here are the members of Fire Breathing Beaver Squad

Ken Westfall, Captain

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Danté Holloway

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Abbe Lougee

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Mathew Richardson

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Nate Bodie

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Alexa Carey

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Virginia Martin

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Liz Etherington

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I tend to lean towards being the eternal optimist.  I believe in the good and value in all of us and try to do what I can to be positive while giving people the benefit of the doubt.  I am also the type of person who truly believes that we all have countless opportunities to shape, change and influence the world we live in and that includes taking advantage of the opportunity make those changes in our own lives in order reinvent ourselves.  In fact, I believe that we as people should never stop striving to grow and change and that at the core of that is good health all around.

With that being said, finding the motivation to enact the changes in our lives that we know we need to can be the greatest challenge of them all.  For many, it takes something extreme – a heart attack, a broken bone, losing a loved one, etc.  For me, it was stepping on a scale for the first time in a while and not liking what the little machine was telling me in conjunction with just not feeling good.  That was great motivation initially and as I’ve said before, it has yielded positive results for me over the course of the last year or so.   However, the biggest challenge I face now is finding new motivation to reset and achieve new fitness and life goals in the midst of relative contentedness.  How do I let go of my previous proverbial phoenix in order to allow a new, refocused one to rise from the ashes of previous success?

Some of the things I am trying to do to stay motivated is trying to feel better in more specific ways.  In particular, focusing on the little nagging injuries (like my ankle and shoulder) and trying to make them feel better.  I have recently started reading a book called Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain by Pete Egoscue (http://www.egoscue.com/products/books.php) which outlines the “Egoscue Method,” a process of using simple stretches and exercises to get the body back into correct alignment.  It makes a lot of sense and I can say that I am beginning to feel better.  I would definitely recommend taking a look if you have had something bothering you for a while now.

Another way I am finding motivation is through my teammates – The Fire Breathing Beaver Squad – and the amazing encouragement and support we have been able to provide one another thus far.  We have had some very good and very candid conversation thus far and I continue to look forward to our regular team meetings. There are other forms of motivation and of course challenges that I continue to face but I feel I am off to a good start as I work to push myself further and out of my current comfort zone.

For me, 2009 was a year of recovery. See, in Spring of 2008, I underwent ankle surgery to repair a bone cyst, caused by the lack of cartilage in the joint. The surgery consisted of taking a bone graph and cartilage from my knee, then braking my ankle (I know, I actually allowed them to break it for me!) so that they could put it in my ankle and repair it. The post surgery rehabilitation consisted of 6, fully non-weight bearing, weeks on crutches, followed by a summer full of physical therapy and slowly working to get my body right again.

During that time of recovery, I quickly settled into a very sedentary lifestyle, with my inability to move being a convenient excuse for watching lots of television and movies. I also feel in to a pretty significant period of self-loathing and used food as a crutch. Thus, in addition to not being active at all, I was eating, a lot and not particularly well either. It was a tough time and I am very thankful I had my loving and caring partner, Jenn, there to help and support me during this time.

While I slowly began to recover and regain my mobility, the habits I developed while in the thick of it all really stuck. Sitting around and doing a whole lot of nothing was seemingly enjoyable. At the very least, it was easy, as was not paying much attention to what I was putting in my body. The rest of 2008 was spent coming to terms with this and struggling to feel good – mentally, physically and emotionally. I realized that as much as the surgery had been a major cause for my physical pain and discomfort, it was working my as my excuse to continue my bad habits rather than working to address the root causes. I made a commitment that in 2009, I would work hard to get my mind and body back into better shape and I jumped into it with reckless abandon.

While I’m sure I’ll tell you more about the specific things I’ve done in the last year, I am proud to report that about a year later, I am 45 lbs lighters and immeasurably happier. I have worked and continue to work hard to redefine my relationship with food (thank you weight watchers) while working with quite a few health professionals to regain movement in my body in order to feel good.

With that year of recovery under my belt, I see this year as the time to start establishing the norm for the rest of my life. You see, by being a featured challenger for the P.U.C. I have been thrust into the limelight. What better motivation to sustain good habits and continue to find ways to live a healthier life than to have a lot of eyes watching my and (hopefully) pushing me to do better. Among my major goals for this challenge are to improve my diet in order to improve my lipid profile and to hopefully lose an addition 20 lbs. I also hope get back into music, a passion of mine that I have done little with since finishing up undergrad. I’ve purchased an ukulele and I would like to be functional by the end of this challenge. I hope to begin taking lessons and making time to practice on a regular basis.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to embark on this journey and how happy I am to be doing it with my team. We’ve had a great time getting to know each other thus far and I can already tell that lots of new and wonderfully deep friendships will be formed as a result of this experience. I hope to see you all around campus or feel free to stop by the Student Events and Activities Center in MU 103 if you’d like to drop by and say hello. Talk to you soon!

-Danté