Walking with Walker Lady

Guess Who is in ONE-derland?

2012-01-28T18:16:00.000-06:00

Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes!

2012-01-27T10:21:00.002-06:00

Now that I figured out how to get photos from my camera to the computer, I am back in business!
The talk I gave at the support group, on getting started and setting goals, seemed to go over well! I love trying to help. I've done so much research and reading and listening, that I feel like I might explode sometimes! The only thing worse than an ex-smoker is a person who's lost weight and wants to help! Just tell me to shush if I get too long winded when talking to you about how to do what I am doing. I mean well, but can go off on tangents if I don't watch out!

So, on the weight loss front, I am stagnant again. I am 200 point 2, or point 6, or point 5, depending on the day. Of course, during the middle of the week, I am seeing 199 and once even saw a 198, but until that number shows up on a Saturday for the official weigh in, it doesn't count! Maybe, carrying around my Mad Hatter's Hat in my bag, is jinxing it?

I have never been so relaxed about sitting in a plateau as I have this one though. I just know it will happen, when it happens! I heard on a recent podcast that you shouldn't think of it as a plateau but rather as your metabolism doing a readjustment. Once it is all lined up again, the weight will come off again. And this has happened several times before. I will go along, flirting with a one pound gain or loss for a few weeks and then BOOM, three pounds drop off and stay off!

In thinking about (non-food) rewards, I think a new pair of shoes would be the best one for getting into one-derland. I was shocked when I compared my oldest shoes to the newer pair. I have actually worn out a pair of shoes! The older ones are the two on the inside:
See how the nubs are flat and the white parts are worn away as compared to the newer shoes on the outsides of these sets?
You can really see it in this closeup. The newer shoes in these photos are the exact same brand and size as the older ones. I bought them last year, with the intention of replacing my old shoes with them. However, the new ones just won't break in and hurt my feet sometimes. So a new pair of good running/walking shoes IS in order and will be a welcomed reward for getting into one-derland!

I am saving up for a laptop for when I reach my next goal of 191 if I make that by April 15th. I am not sure what type of laptop I will go for, but I understand that April is a good month to buy a laptop, so it all seems to fall into place with using that as a reward.

Then on to the scariest goal of 175. This year is shaping up to be busy and interesting, all at the same time!

I've done my walk for the day and am off to run errands. I have had a good balanced breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit. I have a chicken salad made and ready for lunch and I think I may try a shrimp burger recipe while the guys here have their manwiches.

If you haven't done so already...GO FOR A WALK TODAY!

I Am Still Here

2012-01-23T14:15:00.001-06:00

What a difference a year makes.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

2012-01-15T12:03:00.003-06:00

I am not in one-derland yet, but I can see it from here! I was down just over a half pound this week. Today I am following the yellow brick road, clicking my heels three times (while wearing those hot pink crocs) and hoping to wake up in one-derland next week!

I have been thinking about rewards for myself for both one-derland and for reaching my final goal. I think a new pair of run/walk shoes would be a great one for one-derland. Final goal might be a laptop computer. That seems a bit extravagant though. I will have to give that some more thought.

Not much to say for today. I am working on my 'speech' for Thursday and have other commitments to tend to in my other life! I hope you are having a great weekend! Now get out there and go for a walk on YOUR yellow brick road!

Unplanned Milestone Achieved!

2012-01-12T17:09:00.004-06:00

I didn't realize it when it happened but when I weighed in last Saturday, not only had I lost the holiday pounds, but a few more to boot! I was down to 201 and change. This officially moved me from the 'obese' category to the 'overweight' category! Woohoo!

Isn't this photo amazing?

Look at how fat sits on the body and squishes the organs!

I still feel obese. I still feel I look like this:

I HOPE I look more like this:

I guess it is time to take new photos!

Next week marks my first speaking engagement. Doesn't that sound all important? hahahaha, it isn't as grandiose as all that. I will be speaking at the support group on goal setting. I might have to do it in a funny hat because I am so close to being in one-derland!

I am getting back on track with my exercises. I've tried to change them up a little bit, and am trying to do more weights and resistance work. When frazzled though, I revert to a good hard long walk! Nothing wrong with that!!! Now YOU go do it too!

Statement of Fact

2012-01-04T09:51:00.004-06:00

I started dieting when I was 11 or 12. I stopped dieting when I was 56. I am losing weight because I am living and eating like the thin person I want to be. I am more educated on foods. I eat between 1200 and 2000 calories a day. I exercise about 60 min. a day. (as simple as a walk, as complex as Yoga) I am working on re-educating my brain to know when I am truly hungry. I am working on 'mindful' eating...eating slow, thinking about the food I am shoveling in, the taste, the texture. I stay away from most processed foods that are chemically engineered to just taste good. I find that the less processing in foods the more foods become filling. I have been simply amazed at how easy this all has been. This is my LIFESTYLE that I CHOOSE. "Diets" do NOT work. You can't be on a 'program' for the rest of your life. You CAN change your lifestyle to that of a healthy person and lose excess pounds in the process. I wish I knew this years ago!!!

Saturday will be the first time this year that I get on the scale again and have the weight be the true recorded weight of record. I don't know what it will show! I think I lost some of the holiday weight, but I am still not back on track, exercise-wise, as 'the child' only went back to school today and we have contractors here at the house for the next few days, which necessitates me keeping close to home. Whatever the scale says it is, I am ready to deal with it. I feel good! I hope you do too.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly!

2011-12-31T16:47:00.002-06:00

Actually, this photo fits all of the parts of the title of today's blog! The good is the Christmas tree in the background. The bad and ugly are both covered by this very blah photograph!!! lol
My ever charming husband was showing me how my new camera works. By the time he took this picture, I was no longer amused. hahahaha!!!

I am working on my goals. I have them on the side bar over to your right. Truth be told, life has been rather hectic this holiday season and it's been hard to sit still and work on thinking clear and straight forward thoughts!

All is good though. I know I've gained a bit of weight and I know I will lose it and more, once the holidays are over. I am thinking about being some sort of motivational speaker. How's that for different?! I think lots of thoughts. It must be scary for anyone who is a mind reader and tries to read mine!

I need to figure out the rewards for reaching goals too. But I wanted to post the goals though, on New Year's Eve, even though they need a bit of tweaking.

I want to wish you all a wonderful (or in MY case a ONE-derful) New Year! May 2012 be kind to you and may you be kind to yourself!

'Till next time, GO FOR A WALK!!!

A Little Holiday Fear?

2011-12-27T07:31:00.004-06:00

Shouldn't that be cheer, not fear? It depends on who you talk to. Some folks that are enjoying the holidays are fearing what that scale will say once they get back to their more normal lives!In the past, many of us would use the pounds gained over the holidays as an excuse to break our most common New Year's Resolution, even before the new year is officially here!I know I have gained a few pounds over the holidays. I know why too! I actually didn't do all that bad with foods. I enjoyed the holidays and the food while eating pretty sensibly, overall. Truth be told, I am hoping some of the weight gain will be from water weight that drinking things like wine and vanilla rum will cause! I didn't pig out on candy but I did have three mini chocolate candy bars and one chocolate covered cherry over the past week. I also had a slim sliver of my husband's chocolate birthday cake and less than a half cup of vanilla bean ice cream with it.
The bigger reason I've gained a few pounds is because I haven't been exercising like I would usually be. I managed to get in some exercises every day, but not at the intensity that I would normally do.
So yes, I am guessing I've put on about five pounds.I got a lot of 'exercise' gifts this year. I now have a pretty neat home gym to broaden my exercising with! I got a heart rate monitor/watch, an exercise ball, strap on weights, and a cool pair of black with purple mottled striped exercise pants! (purple is my favorite color)
I recently found a Pilate's/Yoga DVD at the thrift store, along with a step exercise platform thingy. I already owned a pair of five pound dumbbells and stretchy-bands. Add in the shows I found on TV that I've recorded so I have a bunch of routines to pick from, and I am all set for a new set of exercises to add into my regular routine.
I know I need to build more muscle and I also know I get bored doing the same old thing all the time. All these new tools will open up a whole new set of possibilities.
When spring and summer roll around, I will change these tools around and use them in different exercises to stave off boredom then too. Plus they say that your body gets used to the same old, same old and changing things up keeps the body hopping, in more than one way.
I plan to have one more posting about goal setting and New Year's Resolutions, done around the first of the year. I have lots of plans for 2012. I hope to inspire you to make some plans along with me! Till next year, be good to yourself!
Now go for a walk!!!

Challenge Results, Goal Setting, and More

2011-12-15T15:40:00.006-06:00

I have a lot of little things to talk about today. I will cover the fruit challenge results, goal setting for 2012, exercise changes, and a few random thoughts.

FRUIT CHALLENGE:
The fruit challenge was kinda fun! I had to look up what exactly a quince and a pummelo was, and how to eat them. The pummelo turned out to be like a very thick skinned grapefruit. It wasn't quite as sour and tart as what we think grapefruit can be. It was very difficult to peel off the outer skin and the inner membranes. It might qualify as a negative calorie food because it takes quite a bit of work to prepare it for eating! I would not bother buying one again.
The quince was even more challenging because you had to cook it to eat it. There were several recipes for using quince to thicken applesauce as it reports to have somewhat of a jelling property to it. I chose to cook it, add sugar to it and eat it as a dessert type food. It reminded me of cooked apple but didn't have much flavor of its own to add to the taste. I will not be buying quinces again.

I might be having a taste bud issue though. Both of the new fruits were not impressive in their tastes. I have also noticed that things like grapes, cherries, and most berries seem to have no flavor! I've heard that "the elderly" have changes in their pallet as they age. Maybe my taste buds are shot? I would like to think it is more because some of these foods are just not in season right now and taste like juicy air and water, but no flavor.

GOAL SETTING:
What is a goal? For me, I see it as a specific vision, with a plan, a goal timeline, and a specific reward for completion. The more I get into my lifestyle changes the more I see the need to always keep a goal or five, in mind to help keep the motivation going. So far I have come up with a few goals for 2012, that I plan to work on. I am trying to make some short term goals and some longer term ones. If I don't meet the deadlines, I will erase the end dates and put in a new one! There is no giving up acceptable. Of course, I will make goals that are reachable!

My list of goals so far:

To be in by Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012
To reach my goal weight of 191lbs by Tax Day, April 15, 2012
To sign up and do another 5K before June 1, 2012
To stop eating anything after 8pm by New Year's Day, 2012
To be at my secondary goal weight of 175 by my 58th birthday. (October 2012)

I need to set up a reward for each goal and then write it down in stone, or on the side bar of my blog, for all to see. Just the act of making goals is very motivating! I would recommend this exercise to everyone!

We all worry so much about losing the weight and getting to an ideal goal weight we have in our heads, but not what to do after that. Even though I have hit a hard plateau in the weight loss department, I am also thinking about how things will be when I declare I have reached my final goal!

I go up and down a pound or a half pound here and there and have been doing this for over a month now. I have still managed to go down if you look at the beginning of the month and compare it to the end of the month, but it has become agonizingly slow.

Much of the research I have done, points to eating more food to lose the weight and/or doing more muscle building exercises to gain muscle mass that will boost my metabolism and cause more fat pounds to go off my body. They say that a starvation diet will only work just so far before the body slams on the brakes and will not let a single pound leave, because it thinks it is starving.

Scientific weight loss....eat as the thin person you want to be...do not starve yourself. I hear this all the time. I am afraid to let go of the old tapes though. The old tapes say that if you are not losing weight, you need to cut even more calories and exercise even harder. I bet you all think this too! I want to believe that I can eat 2000 calories a day and just do my exercise routines as they are and that the weight will still keep going down. So far though, I just can't grasp the belief that this will happen!

What I plan to do about it is to take a month to track my food intake even more stringently and to increase my muscle building exercises. If there is not a significant change, I will have to revisit my whole plan to see just where the problems are. That is the plan anyway.

Recently a person contacted me via email and wanted help to lose weight. I offered to help in any way I could. I asked her to start doing ten minutes a day of 'on purpose' exercise and to write down what she eats. I never heard from her again. This makes me sad. I can just hear her telling herself that she couldn't find ten minutes to do exercises and couldn't write down all the food she ate, and that she was a failure.

You tell yourself this when you set yourself up to fail from the start. I know. I did that at the beginning of this whole thing, last year. When I handed over my $20 to pay for the books for our support group, my inner brain was telling me that I was wasting this money, buying this program, and it would fail like all the rest of them that I have spent money on, in the past. I am super-duper happy to tell you that this time I was wrong! And now look at me! I have lost over eighty pounds. I can walk up stairs easier. I can fit into clothes that don't have half the alphabet on the size tag. I used to be afraid of hills when I went walking. They still challenge me, but I no longer stick with a specific route to avoid them. It has been a long journey, but it has been short too. The biggest thing that bugs me right now is why it took so long to get things right? How different my life might have been if I hadn't carried this monkey, no, this GORILLA on my back?

The past is past though. There is no going back...only forward. I'd like to think I am helping others move forward with me! Hang in there everyone! Go for a walk and keep a smile on your face!

I have a challenge for you!

2011-12-08T09:25:00.006-06:00

It's been a challenge to get my exercising in this week. Over the weekend we had a big rainstorm come in. Usually I can watch the radar and get a run/walk done, in between downpours. Not this time! It rained steadily from Saturday night through Monday morning!!!
I still was able to get to the center for my usual Saturday swim. I was down a pound again. (happy dance) Sunday I was unable to get much of anything done, exercise wise. I was just 'off' that day and gave myself permission to relax a bit. Monday I braved the flooded roads and went to the center for my Yoga class. However, when I got there, the class had been cancelled! RATS!!! I went home and spent hours, decorating and cleaning house. I was exhausted by the end of the day and my legs were noodle-ish.

Though the weather had turned colder on Tuesday, I was back on the trails for a wonderful run/walk! How cold was it you ask? Cold enough to have this facing us Wednesday morning:
Thankfully the roads were mostly just wet. The overpasses were icy and there were a lot of fender benders out there. I have one overpass between myself and the center and braved the route to the center for the Wednesday Yoga class. It took a lot longer than normal, to get to class, but the teacher was there and it was a great workout!

During my run/walks, I most always listen to a podcast or three. One of my favorites is the Fat2Fit guys podcast. In the episode I was listening to, the guys posed a challenge to buy ten fruits for the week and to have several of them be fruits that you have never tried! I already had an orange and frozen raspberries so I bought eight more fruits at the store. Two are ones I have never had or used before.
You can see, in the photo above, a pineapple, strawberries, a banana, grapes, an apple, a pear, a quince, and a pummelo. Those last two are new to me! The quince is the smaller yellow fruit on the left and the pummelo is the grapefruit (on steroids) to the right.

My challenge to you is to buy or have, ten fruits in your house at one time, with at least two being ones you have never tried before! I will report back to you, how I did with the quince and pummelo.

Until next time, go for a walk!

Numbers, it's all about the numbers...

2011-11-30T14:23:00.005-06:00

I still cannot escape the comforting numbers of the scale that tells me I am still on track.
I still cannot keep from having a bedtime snack, although now it is usually dried fruit instead of M&M's.
I still cannot keep from eating too fast, although I am more cognisant of this flaw and I do try to slow down...now and again.
I still have cravings for fattening foods, and sometimes have some treat, although I don't binge on huge slices of cake, several cups of ice creams, bags of candy, bowls of nuts, boxes of crackers, huge chunks of cheeses, or bags of chips.
I still fudge here and there on my calorie counting, although I just as often, will fudge in either direction, under estimating as often as over estimating...just to play it safe.

I am normal.

I have changed.

My numbers impress some...they should. Look what I have done in one year! I have gone from the first numbers taken November 2010 to the second numbers taken November 2011:

Weight: 291 lbs. to 208 lbs. (83 pounds)
Waist: 50" to 39" (11")
Chest: 53" to 42" (11")
Hips: 54" to 46" (8")
Thigh: 29" to 23.5" (5.5")

Slow and steady IS the way to go. Do I get impatient? You bet I do! Do the numbers on the scale affect my moods? Yes indeed! Do I worry that this will stop working for me? All the time! Do I consider myself successful at this? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. Ask me that one in three years. And although you've heard it often, it is SO true...if I can do this, anyone can! Really? Really!!!

Why is it, IT?

2011-11-28T14:27:00.003-06:00

Why is it that a scale can read SO differently? I admit it. Today when I went in to my Yoga class, I just HAD to step on the scale to see what it might say. I closed my eyes and listened for the beep to signal it was done reading my weight. I opened my eyes and saw 208! Wow! I must have been bloated with water from all the salty foods or something. I dunno. I am just glad that it happened. Now on to more important stuff...like baking a cake for my son's 11th birthday! Don't worry, although he is having pizza, cake, and ice cream, I am hungry for chicken and roasted brussel sprouts! See ya next time!

Why is it?

2011-11-26T07:30:00.005-06:00

I really would like to know how our bodies can gain five pounds in 48 hours and then take 48 days to lose those same pounds? I expect I will find I have gained five pounds from the Thanksgiving feast. Even though I didn't eat half a pie with real whip cream, I did drink wine and I did have some dressing. Is that all it takes?

Here is a partial list of what I indulged in, over a 48 hr period:

wine - 1000 calories
pie - 400 calories
dressing - 300 calories
turkey - 200 calories
smoked oysters - 240
pickled herring - 300
crackers - 300

That adds up to 2740 calories over two days. The other foods eaten were things like my oatmeal and fruit breakfasts, the veggie tray, fat free/sugar free jello salad, a half a cup of mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, coffee, and other usual food consumptions. I must have amnesia or something. I have to be forgetting some foods!My normal intake for two days would be between 3000 and 4000 calories. If I add 4000 calories and 2740 calories and then divide that in half I get 3370 calories per day or just a little under 1400 calories over what I would normally eat. Even using those numbers, how can that add up to a five pound gain?

I won't really know until I go weigh in this morning, on the 'official' scale. Maybe my scale at home needs a new battery? But...if I HAVE gained that much, I really want to know why! It just doesn't make sense!!! Watch for my update to this posting, later today if you want to see what the results of today's weigh-in was!

I did gain...about three pounds. Unless you look at the actual weight that was recorded two weeks ago. According to that, I only gained two pounds. Blah! There is a silver lining to this. No one was there today, so I have a whole week before I weigh in again! hahahaha!

Gobble, Gobble!

2011-11-24T10:17:00.004-06:00

It is Thanksgiving morning here and I am about to go into the kitchen to start preparing some more of the food we will have today. I just got back from a half hour walk. It is cool and cloudy outside! I feel better for having walked too.

I plan to eat smart but I also plan to not worry about overeating a little bit.

I like the thought that my diet is a lifestyle and if I were a skinny person, I would enjoy the day. I just don't have to gorge myself sick! I feel that the 90/10 rule works pretty good. I eat right and exercise right, 90% of the time. 10% of the time I might miss a day of exercise or have foods that are a bit on the indulgence side. As long as I go right back to the 90%, I can live, eat, and enjoy life without guilt over that extra smoked oyster, pickled herring, cracker, slice of cheese, piece of dark turkey meat, dressing (or stuffing as many call it), glass of wine (or two), or anything else I might have!

I DID make some changes for today. I have some low fat cheeses, crackers, and a very low fat pumpkin pie (using phyllo dough for the crust). I have lots of 'nibbles' in the form of healthy veggies. No one will go away hungry. Those that don't care as much, will eat the more fattening foods. I won't make THEM feel guilty because I am sitting there all mopey faced, depriving myself of the feast!And I won't chastise anyone for eating as they wish! Why ruin a perfectly good meal and wonderful day? It doesn't have to be such an ordeal to eat smart and to enjoy a 'foodie' day like Thanksgiving! In this house, it won't be an ordeal, but a celebration!

I hope you enjoy your day today. I love having family around and like Thanksgiving almost better than Christmas. It is mostly because there are no presents involved...it is all about family and sharing, not keeping up with the Jones or who got the best or most presents. (Although, if my husband reads this, "Honey, I really DO like presents, any time!")

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
(and no, that is not me in a bikini!)

She's All Wet

2011-11-20T07:56:00.003-06:00

This morning, I thought I would talk a little about water. We've all heard it..."Drink gallons of water every day!" No? Ok, I suppose gallons would be a bit of an exaggeration. Did you know you can kill yourself by drinking too much water at one time? I doubt most of us will ever have to worry about that.

It is obvious that when you workout and sweat that you need to rehydrate. It might not be obvious that if you workout in the pool, you need to rehydrate too. I am not the best when it comes to drinking water as much as I should. I do keep a refillable bottle of water near me all day though. As soon as I think I am thirsty, I drink some!

I have heard all the suggested amounts and ignored them for years. One of my goals is to strive to be better about re-hydrating my body. These are my beliefs about water:

You don't have to drink eight glasses of water per day.
If you are thirsty, you are dehydrated.
If you need to use a lot of lotion, you are dehydrated.
If you need to use a lot of chap-stick, you are dehydrated.
Water flushes out your system better than anything else.
When I wake up, I try to remember to drink at least one glass of water, before coffee, before eating breakfast, before brushing my teeth. I need to start the day with a drink of water, as soon as I can.

Step number six above, is a new goal of mine. I have made it a point to drink as much as I can, as soon as I can, after getting out of bed. My refillable bottle is on my nightstand, and I grab it as I head off to the kitchen to make coffee. I don't want ice cold water, first thing in the morning. My bottle of water is just the perfect temperature to have then! The photo above is the actual type bottle that I own. It is made by Rubbermaid and is readily available in many grocery stores or department stores. They are BPA free too. We have a built in filtration system for water from our fridge. That is what I use to fill my bottle. (This is one thing you can do to help the environment too...the amount of plastic water bottles in the landfills is enormous!) I own several bottles and change them out every few days. I wash mine in the dishwasher to disinfect them. I used to reuse regular water bottles. Then I read about the chemical reactions and that they are not as sanitary as these other ones that I bought. Whether it is true or not, I prefer to use my own refillable bottles over the store bought bottled water bottles.

How much do we need to drink per day? Do you think it is something like eight, eight ounce glasses per day? Would you be surprised that you might not need so much???
It is true! Although most of us never drink enough water, thinking that we have to drink a half gallon or more per day is not true either. Just keep it in your brain that if you ARE thirsty at all, don't ignore the feeling. You do NOT have to go get a full eight ounce glass either! Four ounces at a time is a lot easier to swallow.

Make it a point to get a few ounces down before, during, and after exercising.

Don't forget to get a little water in your system before and after pool exercises too.
Drink a few ounces, before anything else, in the mornings.
If you even have a hint of thirst, be sure to get a drink.
Strive to take a sip or three, every time you can, throughout the day.
Don't worry so much about the amount of water that you think you have to drink in a day. Listen to your body 'more better', as it will tell you when it needs water.

Let's raise our glasses for a toast! CHEERS!
Until next time, bye for now!

RACE DAY!

2011-11-19T13:41:00.002-06:00

I set out my outfit for race day, the night before. The rain was supposed to hold off until later in the afternoon. I got up early and had my usual oatmeal with fruit for breakfast. Husband and son were ready on time and we headed out to where the race was going to be run. We'd never been there before, but found it just fine, with time to spare!

The starting line had pretty balloons. They announced they had 125 people who signed up for the 5K. I was a little nervous. Mostly I worried about being last! When they said "GO" I was at the back of the pack. About fifty people starting running off down the street. NO ONE ELSE was walking!!!

I had planned to walk for the first ten minutes or so, just to warm up. I lasted five minutes. I had to start jogging or I was going to be last for sure! I was pretty much alone. I did pass a few folks around the first mile. I ran as best I could and then walked when I was breathing too hard and hurting. Soon all the runners were coming back, passing me by. I counted as many as I could because only the first 75 finishers were getting medals of completion. I really hoped I could be in that top bunch so I could get a medal too. I soon realized I had no worries about that. I would not be finishing in the top 75.

I kept on going though, and hoped that I would be going fast enough to beat my previous personal best (unofficial) time of 18 minutes per mile. That is the speed that I do out on the trails I like. Oh, and asphalt is very hard on your knees and legs! I missed my softer trails!!!
As the finish line finally came in view, I dug down deep and talked myself into speeding up for a strong finish! I didn't want to embarrass myself or my family!
I heard my son and husband cheering me on and it was also nice that there were others in the crowd who were clapping too. I thought there must be a bunch of people behind me. (there wasn't)

Here I am, at the finish line! The time was 48min/15sec. I had beaten my old time by three minutes per mile! Yay me!
I wasn't in the top 75 finishers, as I had realized when so many passed me by as runner after runner went by me on their way back. So I didn't get a medal. Oh well, I wasn't last. I passed others. I went faster than I've ever gone before. And I have the tee shirt and photos to prove it all! hahahaha

I don't know if I will be brave enough to do a competitive race someday or not. This one mixed walkers, runners, and run/walkers all together. I was the 85th person across the finish line. This means I was faster than about 40 other people! (IF they had all showed up and run the race too)

Ok, ok, truth be told, those other 40 included a lady with a walker, an old man, a young girl that was heavier than myself, and others that were physically challenged! But you know what? I finished and a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to make it from the parking lot to the start line. I think that is the most important thing to take away from this...along with smiles and a great sense of accomplishment!

Guess What I Did Last Night?

2011-11-14T15:53:00.002-06:00

I walked the Big Dam Bridge from North Little Rock to Little Rock, and back again! It was at night and my husband and son went with me. They really have lights that color up the bridge like this photo too! It was a free event to promote fitness and community. We all got t-shirts. I was kinda tickled that I fit into a size L instead of XL. It took us 25 minutes to do this. We were walking really fast too! It was fun and I hope we can do this again next year!

Approaching the One Year Mark!

2011-11-12T07:05:00.005-06:00

Next weekend will mark a full year since I started on this lifestyle change! As of this posting, I've lost 82 pounds. The graph above shows the pounds lost over this past year.

A safe way to lose weight is to aim for one to two pounds a week. My loss averaged out to be 1.9 pounds per week. WELL within what is considered safe and healthy for weight loss. It will also be easier to maintain the weight loss, for the rest of my life because it is gradual. New habits take time to take hold!

I really am feeling the move into the transition phase of my journey. I've used Sparkpeople.com for their tools that include calorie counting, figuring out calories in recipes, motivational articles, fitness tracking, and many many other tools. It is a vast website with almost too much information! I can usually find answers to most any question I might have though. Regarding food or fitness or recipes, this site has an unbelievable amount of information on it.

I also really like the podcast that the Fat 2 Fit guys have. I love their motivation. I am not sold on their methods just yet. They advocate eating like the thin person you want to be. Generally this allows for more calories than I would be comfortable with eating! I am trying different things they are suggesting because it is more like a lifestyle, rather than a diet. Why am I not totally sold on it yet? Well, it is just too easy to follow their ideas! There is little to no suffering that I have always associated with weight loss or even with exercising. Can it really be THIS easy? Time will tell. For now though, I am sticking with these guys to see if this really does keep working as it has so far!

Next week I will be getting ready to run/walk my first official 5K. This also marks the one year anniversary of the beginning of my new life. I think it will also be the time to change when I jump on the scale. I think I should try to do this every other week for a while. Once I can prove to myself that the weight is still coming off, slow but sure, I can get rid of that crutch of a scale! To flip this around, because I AM at the tail end of the journey, weighing in every two weeks will show more pounds lost than every week would. I might only lose a half pound a week now. If I weigh in every two weeks, that will show as a pound loss.

Everything in moderation seems to be the ticket I need. Whether it be food, exercise, or most anything that touches me in my life, if it is in moderation, it seems to be the best way to go. Slow and steady might be boring, but it really seems to be the wise way of doing things!

PS: I gained .4 pounds today. I am not worried. Annoyed? YES! But not really all depressed about it. It will be two weeks before I weigh in again. See ya then! (or probably sooner!)

Don't Tell Charlie the Tuna!

2011-11-08T15:39:00.002-06:00

If you are old, like me, you will remember the Starkist commercials that featured Charlie the Tuna. Don't tell him about what my lunch was today! There are two ounces of tuna, canned in water, in this mix. The rest is filler. I added chopped onion, pepper, tomato, and bread and butter pickles. There is also some fat free cheddar, low fat Miracle Whip dressing, honey mustard, and seasonings. (the tuna comes prepackaged in two ounce cans...very helpful to have a pre-measured serving!)

I took about half the mix and put it on a few slices of french bread and then broiled it a bit.
The rest was put in lettuce cups. Remember that lettuce that I like so well? The artisan romaine? I love putting tuna salad or egg salad in them and eating them like this:

The lettuce is so crunchy! It really satisfies the mouth.

As I move into the maintenance phase of this lifestyle change, am I finally getting it? Sometimes I really don't understand why this is all working like it is. It has been too easy! Yes, there have been challenges, but they were all surmountable. Mind you, I am NOT complaining!!! I just feel, if I could grasp why this worked this time and never had in the past, I could help others, even more!

If I ever figure it out, I will be sure to share!

Really?

2011-11-05T11:18:00.002-05:00

It has been two weeks since I last weighed in. Since we were out of town and eating on the road, I didn't expect to see much of a change, other than perhaps a gain of a pound or two. I did not expect a loss. Really? TWO - OHHHH - NINE???!!! I'll take that!
What a wonderful feeling to be validated that I CAN work a maintenance program and live like a normal skinny person. What a wonderful weight to say out loud. Two O nine. Not two-ten, or two-twenty, or two-insert all numbers other than an O, but two O nine!

I'll take that. Thank you very much!

Staying Motivated As I Go Into Transition

2011-11-03T10:47:00.010-05:00

Staying motivated is always a problem when "dieting". It doesn't get easier, just because I call it a "lifestyle change". In the beginning I was a fanatic about food, especially the fat calories. It has been almost a year now, since I started relearning how to eat better and exercise regularly. I honestly never thought I would still be working my program this long! Now I am gradually moving into maintenance mode. I still have 20 pounds to go before I reach my first goal of losing 100 pounds. I hope I can reach the 170's someday.

The closer I move towards that first 100 pound loss, the more I am trying to "live like the thin person I want to be." I had my first taste of this life, this past weekend. We went to a renaissance and fantasy festival out of town, where my husband, son, and I performed as minstrels. I took a bag of apples along and some sandwiches that I had made. We supplemented this with foods from the performers' kitchen and fast foods. We also had wine one night, after the show closed down. It was a two day show where we did a lot of walking around the fairgrounds where this was held. We also performed on stage twice a day. We had a great time!

It was scary to not be using my old crutches, faithfully. I did not count calories but did keep mindful of what I was putting in my mouth and how much of it I was having. I had funnel cake! Yes I did! But where I would have eaten the whole thing in the past, I had little bits of it as my young son scarfed it down. I think I might have eaten a sixth of the whole thing. In the past, that would amount to ONE whole bite! I nibbled little bits and was more than satisfied because not only had I enjoyed the sweet treat, I had enjoyed it sensibly. NO GUILT!

After our last performance on the second day, we collapsed into the car for the long ride home. We had slept in a motel for two nights and been outdoors for the festival for two days and we were spent! We got supper on the way out of town, at a fast food place. Mind you, I have not had a fast food hamburger for at least a year now. I was ready to indulge and enjoy one! I actually had given myself mental permission to do this on this trip.

We stood in the short ordering line at the restaurant and I kept looking at the menu over the counter. That hamburger didn't look all that great. I recalled that I read somewhere that the chili was better for you than the fries. I ended up and got the grilled chicken sandwich with veggies and no sauces or cheese, the chili, and a diet soda. Not only did it taste better than the burger would have, I again, had NO GUILT! I think not having guilt makes the food taste better.

Here is a before and after photo of me in the costume I wear for performances. They were taken about four years apart. It is the same dress in both photos, but in the one on the right, I had taken the dress in, over eight inches!!!

I am going to have to totally remake my costumes if we do many more of these shows next year. You can only alter them just so much before they start fitting really weird.

I remember in the beginning of my lifestyle changes I stayed motivated because I had a lot of support and no excuse to not keep on trying. I had access to a gym and exercise classes and swimming pools that I could afford to utilize. I also had over 45 years of 'training' in how to lose weight! I had the full support of my family to keep me on track too.

The middle part of my saga was filled with challenges of my child being home from school for summer vacation, and the hot summer weather, making exercise time a challenge. If I slipped on my eating or exercise, I would not let it become an excuse to quit though. When I wavered I would look at how far I had come and how long I had been working on this. Why would I want to throw all that away? Why would I want to have my knee hurt again, so badly that I needed a cane to walk? Why would I want to find ugly fat clothes to wear again? Why would I want to risk dying too early due to obesity? How could I give up the new-to-me clothes that I had been buying as I shrunk? How could I want to crawl back into my hole and hide from the world? Slowly but surely my mindset is changing. The rewards of keeping on with my changes mean more to me than eating a candy bar, or a cheeseburger, or a bag of donut holes. (You know donut holes don't have any calories, right?)

If I feel myself wavering I make it a point to address that feeling. I might listen to something motivational. I might go to the support group meeting and address my feelings, if need be. Often I find that helping others to be motivated, helps me to keep motivated. It is important to not let any slip become an excuse to quit. It took me 56 years to become the way I was last year. I am only one year into the new me. I need to remember this. And if I do slip, I don't wait until tomorrow to get back on the right path, I get back on the minute after the slip happens. This is my new way of living for life.

Don't wait until tomorrow to begin changing your life. Do something, anything, to change right now, today. Even if it is eating one less bite or walking out the door and around your house and back inside, that is one more thing you are doing right now, that you were not doing before.

Baby steps lead to toddler-hood. Toddler-hood leads to child. Child leads to teenager. Teenager leads to young adult. Young adult leads to adult. Adult leads to mature adult. I am not sure, but I think I am somewhere between child and young adult. I am still impulsive, but I am starting to 'grow up' a bit.

I hope you are growing up (not out) and learning how to live the best life you can. We really have only one chance at life that we know of, for sure. Why would we want to squander that?

I'm Working On It!

2011-11-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

Next time we talk, I will be a year older!

2011-10-22T12:49:00.004-05:00

I was down about half a pound today. It has been slow but steady, and I am thrilled with that! I am eating well and exercising right. It all is working...just like they said it would!

It might be a while before I post again as we are gearing up for a musical performance that happens next weekend. Next week is also my birthday and my oldest son's birthday is the first weekend in November! Life has gotten so busy!!!

I wanted to tell you that I have officially signed up to do my very first REAL 5K! It is in a nearby town called Maumelle, here in Arkansas. This happens on November 19th.

I am still going to do the Spark People Trick or Treat Trot Virtual 5K right after we get back from our weekend gig too. This is kinda fun! Who would have EVER thought I would say those words when talking about walking and running in a race? Not me! Well, not the old me, anyway.

I hope you have a great weekend! Enjoy this wonderful autumn weather and go for a walk! See you next time!

October is a GREAT Month!

2011-10-18T08:47:00.006-05:00

I love October. It is my birthday month. It brings cooler weather. It ends with Halloween! It is my favorite time of the year!

This morning we are getting some badly needed rain. The high temp yesterday was in the mid 80's. The high temp today is supposed to be in the 60's. This is quite a cool down! I am waiting for the rain to stop so I can do my run/walk today and I am really looking forward to enjoying the cooler weather out there!

While waiting for the rain to end, I made myself some breakfast. I have NOT been a breakfast eater, in the past, but I have been trying to change that. I fixed myself some oatmeal and an organic grapefruit. I have a 'thing' about grapefruit. The first diet I was ever on was the "Grapefruit and Boiled Egg" diet. YUCK!!! I was about 11 years old then and in 5th grade. To this day, the thought of those two flavors together can make me gag!!!

But still, every once in a while, I will try grapefruit. Most of the time it is not a pleasant food to eat. They are supposed to be very good for you, so I keep trying to like having them ... but not more than about once a year!
Lately I have been trying to buy a few things that are organic, in the fresh produce section of our store. I saw the organic grapefruit and thought, "What the heck, let's give it a try!"

When preparing breakfast, I cut the grapefruit in half. I then got the little knife, with the serrated edges and curved blade, out of the back of the knife drawer. I realized that this was the exact same knife that Mom and I used on all those grapefruits, some 45 years ago! I resisted the temptation to dowse the top of the grapefruit in sugar to make it sweet and edible. I even made myself sit down at the dining room table with my oatmeal and grapefruit and spoon. (Usually I would be in front of the computer). I ate the oatmeal first and kept staring at the grapefruit. "How sour was it going to be? Why did I buy this stupid fruit anyway?"

Finally it came time to spoon out a segment of the grapefruit. I put it in my mouth and was ready to cringe and pucker up from the tart and sour flavors that I knew were coming.

What's this? It is almost sweet tasting?! It doesn't have that sour aftertaste that reminded me of the aftertaste of vomit! It isn't tasting like the grapefruits I have been getting for the past ten years or more. It isn't full of watery, tasteless, lip puckering, liquid! There is actually a substance and a full bodied taste that is releasing the most amazing flavor! Why, this thing actually TASTES GOOD! Even the juice was like dancing droplets of cool goodness on my tongue! I was amazed. The juices were so full of a delightful flavor AND I didn't need sugar to mask any sourness!

My guess is that the organic factor might have made the difference. I have found the organic apples have more flavor in them too. There is something about the natural flavor of a naturally grown fruit that brings out the sweetness. I recently had found the organic apples in the store. I bought a bag of non-organic Red Delicious apples at the same time. The non-organic apples were woody and flavorless. The organic apples were sweeter and much tastier.

Not all organic foods taste better enough to warrant the added expense. I have not found lettuce to be better or worse, for instance, so I buy the cheaper of the two in that case.

I wonder if kids growing up now a days, will ever think that these foods from the past, taste better? I am reliving my childhood when I find naturally grown stuff that is rich and full of flavor. My children don't have that in their upbringing as much. Would something I find delectable, taste funny to them because they never had it as they were growing up? I wonder?

Well, the rain has stopped and it is time to grab Ziva and head out. The air is so fresh and crisp and clean! I can hardly wait to hit the trail. I will leave you today with this photo:
That is me on the left, from about five years ago. That is also me on the right, taken just last week. I am wearing the same costume in both photos. The brown dress had to be taken in, over eight inches to fit the new me. I kinda like this new me, even if she is a challenge to fit clothes and costumes on!

Bye for now dear readers! Go do something and get away from your computer for a while!!!

Book Reviews: The End of Overeating, and In Defense of Food

2011-10-17T13:09:00.002-05:00

This book, "The End of Overeating" took me a long time to finish. It is not an entertaining gimmick laden book. It IS loaded with a lot of really great information. To me, this book points out the enemy and how it works. It also offers tools and ideas on how to battle the enemy. The biggest tool is knowledge and as they say, knowledge IS power!
The enemy seems to be the food industry here. They actively seek the right combinations of fat, sugar, and salt, to entice the consumers' taste buds. The better the food tastes, the more the consumer will buy it. It is in the best interest of the manufacturers to make their food mixtures taste the same whether you buy the item in California or in New York. Fast food restaurants rely on this constant taste from coast to coast.
After this book talks about how food is made to lure us, it also talks about how to fight those inner cues. Knowing WHY we have an inner cue to want to eat a particular thing, often makes it easier to fight temptations.
I can see myself re-reading this book. It is the first book I've written in, in the margins, since my college years! Thank goodness I actually own this book! I would never do that to a library book!

Speaking of library books, the next one I read was from my local library. I was appalled at how many dog ears there were in this book. How dare people fold over the edge of a page to mark where they left off!!! I guess I have a healthy respect and love of books.

Rant over...on to my review of "In Defense of Food"

This book has been seen on TV recently, as the author tours to promote it. I agree with many others who have reviewed it. The phrase "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants" is written on the front of the book. That sums up a lot of what the author is wanting to convey.

He says the current Western Diet is the cause of many of our diseases, obesity issues, and a whole lot of other health and medical problems. As the Western Diet invades other countries, their populace sees the same medical problems develop that we currently have here, now, in the United States.

This book was an easy read, has some valid points. It has led me to go in a different direction in my reading. I went to the library today and checked out some books to do some research with. Of course you will be able to read those reviews in the future!

Overall, I am doing pretty good! I was down, almost a pound last week. I was able to duplicate the one mile run again, on Sunday. I had a little health scare regarding my mammogram this year, but that thankfully turned out to be cysts and not cancer. Life is very busy these days and I am looking forward to the holidays. For me, life gets a whole lot more relaxed during the holidays. I know...I am strange that way. Deal with it! My family has to, so you do too! hahaha

Cold weather is coming soon and I can't wait to wear all my new-to-me winter clothes! I hope you are all doing well today too. If you've read this far, you need to get busy doing something else! Have a great day!

Run, Run, Run, Away!

2011-10-12T05:40:00.004-05:00

I've been trying to train for a "Virtual" run/walk that takes place during the first week of November. During the first two weeks of training you go out three days a week, with a day of rest in between. You warm up, then run for a minute, then walk for about four minutes, and then run for a minute. You do the running part about four times in a half hour workout. (give or take a few minutes)

In five weeks of training I haven't managed to make it for more than 45 seconds, maybe three times per session and that on a good day! My knees hurt, my lungs were screaming for air! It has been very discouraging! I read that you should run slowly and I thought I was. I compared my total miles per hour on my run/walks and usually go at about a 3mph pace. I looked at times that others have turned in for 5K run/walks (3.1 miles) and I was SO SLOW in comparison!

Then yesterday happened. I had researched the proper form tips for running and jogging online. I decided I would do a fast walk for the first ten minutes or so, of my usual route, in order to be really well warmed up. Then I would run for as long as I could, once I hit the train track trail. To my amazement, I was able to go for a long time! I slowed WAY down. I noticed my breathing wasn't as labored. I was breathing hard, but not labored. I was running, not walking.

I made it as far as the downed tree and kept on going. I made it to the first street crossing and kept on going. I made it past the first church driveway, and kept on going. I made it over the next street crossing and the one after that, and kept going! When I came to the end of the trail, I dropped back into a walk. My legs were a little rubbery, but not sore. My breath was heavy, but not labored. I headed up the long hill towards home and was breathing harder going up that hill than I had been while running.

When I got home, I mapped my route and took note of the distance that I had run, continuously. I had run just over a mile. Really? Yes, really! I don't know if it was a fluke or not. I don't go out until Thursday or Friday to try this again. I'll let you know the results!

(Really? A whole mile, plus? ME???)

Thinking Thoughts

2011-10-11T07:56:00.004-05:00

I didn't gain or lose any weight last week. My life has been a bit topsy-turvy for a few weeks and it looks like this will last throughout the month of October. I won't bore you with the details and so far, nothing is bad, just a titch stressful.

Anyway, I've been contemplating the notion of NOT weighing myself every week. I am starting to see it more as a crutch that I should maybe give up. I all too often let the numbers on the scale, sway the highs and lows of the week following, until the next weigh-in. Once a month weigh-ins should be sufficient.

Now, as to why I think I should do this...I tend to focus on certain things and hang on to them like a bulldog! I've done this with foods, such as the mini rice cakes last winter and the Dannon Greek Vanilla fat free yogurt this summer. If I didn't have my Creme Brule' rice cakes or my yummy yogurt, I was feeling deprived! Even accounting for the calories, I just don't think it is healthy to have a whole bag (about three servings) of the rice cakes after supper. Nor is it really all that great to have three or four servings of yogurt each day, with at least two of those after supper.

These foods are not bad necessarily for me. It is the obsessing about eating them or over indulging with them, that is bad. Part of this new lifestyle is to conquer some of my bad habits. Fixating on a particular food, to me anyway, is not a good habit. Eating after supper, was not because I was hungry, but more-so because I had the extra calories to burn and I convinced myself that I had the munchies.

Old habits. that are still with me, that I plan to tackle are things like eating too fast or eating in front of the TV or computer. I think I should put "scale-watching" in this list. (Is scale watching a fat person's idea of whale watching? ha-ha-ha!)

I keep working on the mindset of how I want to live my life as this new person. Would she exercise daily for one hour? What would she eat in a normal day and in a normal way? Would she still socialize the way she's been or would she retreat or would she expand her social ties?

Some of these questions won't be answered until I've reached a steady weight for several months. I am not sure at what point the work I am willing to put into this life, balances with the work I am NOT willing to put into this life. In other words, I don't know how far down the numbers will go, with me doing what I am doing right now, food and exercise wise. I guess I will address that bridge when it manifests itself!

I am headed out the door for a walk. It is a loverly fall day and I plan to start out right and make this a great day to be alive, healthy, and in good spirits! I hope your days are as bright! Bye for now!

Foodie Type Stuff

2011-10-07T06:46:00.007-05:00

I made a collage from photos of all the foods I ate last Sunday. I often have more calories on the weekends because the guys are home. The only thing that you probably wouldn't see during the week, would be the apple fritter. I will have one of those every few weeks, when the guys get their donut fix on Sunday mornings. It is a family tradition...or so says my husband! This time I only ate half the fritter. I was JUST as satisfied as I had been with having a whole fritter! It is very true that the first bite is the most satisfying. The rest of the bites are never as good, so why eat the whole thing? I can utilize those extra calories in yogurts or fruits, later in the day. I felt better about not having eaten the whole thing too. It was a win-win moment!

The coffee cups are representative of the cups of coffee I had that day. I use a powdered creamer. The rice cakes are those mini ones that are more satisfying, to me anyway, than the big rice cakes you can get. The dinner plate has steak made the way I tend to have it now, shish-kabobed. I eat less meat this way and the grilled vegetables are divine! Adding a loaded romaine salad makes this a huge meal without the guilt!

I am still without a vehicle. I don't know what to expect from this week's weigh-in. I feel like I've eaten way too much and exercised too little! I am also on day three of no cigarettes! I am more determined to make this 'quitting', last for more than ten months. Damn smokes are SO addictive!!!

I am making changes for my family this week. I started making my son's lunches to take to school. I know the school says their lunches are nutritionally on track, but when you see things like "chicken rings" on the menu, you gotta wonder what planet those chickens are from! The thought of finely ground chicken parts, from parts of the chicken we normally don't think of as edible, creeps me out. I know these are breaded and probably fried and it does not instill a lot of confidence in what the school says is healthy! So far, my son is eating everything I send with him too. Well, almost everything. That one carrot stick. I snuck into his lunch bag, did come back.

I sure miss shopping more than once a week, for fresh produce! Apples are coming in season and the organic ones have a LOT of flavor to them! This is one of the foods that I really notice the differences in flavors when comparing organic to non-organic. I am also really enjoying the new romaine lettuce packs at our local grocery store. They are in the "artisan lettuce" area of our store. There are two perfect romaine lettuce bunches in each container. I use mine from the outside in. First the outer leaves are used in sandwiches. As I work my way into each lettuce heart, I can make perfect lettuce wraps filled with tuna or black bean and salsa salad. The lettuce heart is made into a very wonderful chopped salad with grape tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced peppers, and whatever else I am enjoying that day, for salad fixin's. (grapes, Craisins®, raisins, mushrooms, etc.)
This lettuce comes in a hard plastic tray, with two to a package. They never wilted and kept fresh for a whole week! They are crisp and crunchy and very satisfying! They store in my fridge in the plastic packaging they come in. I really like this new product! I do not like the pre-chopped stuff. I end up throwing away half the lettuce in the pre-packaged, three-to-a-pack romaines, and I throw away too many outside leaves in the single loose heads of romaine. I found this pack to be just right for one person. Currently it is selling for $2.99 a package. Since there is so little waste, it turns out to be the most bang for my buck!

Well, that's it for today. I am off to walk the child to school and then come back and do some yoga on the Wii. I hope you are having a wonderful day too!

Transportationally Challenged

2011-10-05T06:20:00.006-05:00

Sorry I have been absent of late. Life has taken a turn for the busy and I just find it hard to wrap my head around a cohesive blog posting!

Long story short, I have been without a vehicle since last Thursday. I have one on the weekends though. Because of this lack of transportation, I am not able to go to the center during the week!

I am working on keeping up with things here at home, but I miss my friends and yoga classes! Yes, I can do the yoga at home, but it isn't the same.

I was down again last Saturday and will be VERY curious to see what happens this Saturday, after a full week of no vehicle! I hope I don't gain and really don't think I should!

As of this morning, I have gone 24 hours without a cigarette too. I am getting so many things done in the house! Idle hands want to smoke, so I keep them busy with sewing and major house cleaning.
I don't do spring cleaning but in the fall, I seem to go through periods of major dust bunny hunting! Related to this is when I tackled a super deep cleaning of the bathroom. As I was on my hands and knees, reaching behind the toilet to wipe down the wall, I realized that the last time I tried to do this, it was a LOT harder! Not only could I do it, but I could get up off the floor without using a forklift!I hope you are having a great day! I plan to go for a walk today and do some yoga stuff at home . What will YOU do?

I Made It!

2011-09-24T13:08:00.002-05:00

Finally, I made the 75 pounds lost mark! I was down 3.2 pounds this week! These plateaus are sure stranger as time goes on, but thank goodness they ARE plateaus! Now to celebrate! No time to post more today. I hope to be back later next week though! See you then!

Anyone for Breakfast?

2011-09-19T11:37:00.003-05:00

Here's a little quiz for you. Which cereal is healthier? Which of these is a good choice? Which is a bad choice? I've saved a few empty boxes of several cereals that have recently been in our house. Remember, we have a ten year old that lives with us. He eats 99% of these cereals and I have them once in a while for the other 1% of the mix.

Honey Nut Chex: The box says it is "Gluten Free" and whole grain but it has honey and nuts, so it must be too sweet and higher in fat because of the nuts, right?

The serving size is 3/4 cup
Calories are 120
Fat is 1g
Sugars are 9g
Fiber is 1g.

Corn Chex: This is also "Gluten Free" and is "with Whole Grain Guaranteed". It is CORN though. That can't be good, can it?

The serving size is 1 whole cup
Calories are 120
Fat is only a half (.5)g
Sugars are 3g
Fiber 2g

Not bad!

Life Cinnamon: "Made with Whole Grain". This stuff tastes good without adding milk!

The serving size is 3/4 cup
Calories are 120
Fat is 1.5g
Sugars are 8g
Fiber 2g

It is also "Heart healthy" and "an excellent source of B-Vitamins" according to the package.

Mom's Best Naturals - Honey Grahams: Now this should be super healthy! It is in the specialty isle with all the health foods and is a lot more expensive than the others. It too, has whole grains and is made with "all natural ingredients".

The serving size is 3/4 cup
Calories are 130
Fat is 3g
Sugars are 10g
Fiber 1g

Wait a minute?!? The health food is the most in calories, fat, sugars and lower in fiber than most of the others? What's up with that???

It gets more interesting when you read the ingredients. The health food cereal has corn meal as its first ingredient. The other three list different whole grains as their first ingredients.

By the way, the Honey Nut Chex, and the Mom's Honey Grahams both listed two types of sugars in the first five ingredients. The Corn Chex and Life cereals listed one sugar as the third ingredient. (I only went through the first five ingredients for this)

When looking at all the ingredients:

The Life cereal listed ONE source of sugar in its ingredients.
The Corn Chex cereal listed TWO sources of sugar.
The Honey Nut Chex listed FOUR sources of sugar.
The Mom's Honey Grahams lists SIX sources of sugar.

The FDA doesn't make manufacturers list all their sugars together. The more types of sugars you can put in a product the lower down the list they appear. The Corn Chex would be lowest in sugar because they actually use less overall sugar than the others. Clear as mud? Of course not! It seems the more of a challenge it is to figure these labels out the more we are kept in the dark. I hate having to do my homework, but I need to, in order to put the best foods in MY mouth for ME!

By the way, good old oatmeal is a tad higher in calories and fat. It has 150 calories per serving and 2.5g fat. It wins in the sugar category with only 1g of sugar, and in the fiber category with 4g of fiber. One more note about oatmeal is interesting when comparing it to these other cereals. The total list of ingredients in Life Cinnamon cereal was a whopping 27! Mom's Best had 18 ingredients (so much for "all natural" meaning simple), Honey Nut Chex had 12, and Corn Chex had only 8! But, oatmeal has ONE ingredient.

The moral of this story is that you really can't judge a book by its cover much less a cereal box by where it is located in the store, or what it says in bold print on the box. You have to read the ingredients too. Everyone needs to decide what is best for themselves. I look at calories and fat first and always prefer simpler foods with fewer ingredients.

Please pass the oatmeal!

(note: all these figures were without adding milk)

Book Review: Water With Lemon

2011-09-18T07:20:00.004-05:00

I just finished "Water with Lemon" last night. The book is written in a fictional way with the main character, Karen, coming to terms with her life, marriage, and her battle with weight loss.

The eight habits that are introduced in the book are great common sense ways to incorporate in your weight fighting lifestyle.

Overall, it was a fast read. It was hard for me to combine the thought process of fictional story with non-fictional facts.

I liked some of the ideas to help with weight loss in this book. Although I got tired of reading "water with lemon" that was almost on every page of the book! I exaggerate, but it sure was mentioned a LOT! hahaha

I will take away some of the ideas from the book, like making large batches of meals and freezing some to make your own 'fast food' meals easier. I might slice up a lemon and put it in a container in the fridge. Then when I get water, I will put a slice in the bottom of the glass before adding the water. It sounds refreshing!

I went to the web site that is mentioned in the book. There I found the "Lickety-Split" cookbook. I thought this was an old ancient book that the character, Fowler, had found. It isn't. It is a full blown cookbook that the author made to go with the book. I didn't like that the prices for this cookbook are, what I consider, very high.

If you can wrap your head around the story parts of this book and keep it separate from the diet plan, I think you might enjoy it. It is a predictable and easy plot to follow. I am sure the plans, the habits mentioned, would help out some to tackle their weight loss methods.

I will take away from this book some 'food for thought' and possibly incorporate it into my regime. I won't spend the money on their web site, for any of the companion books or DVD's though! I will subscribe to her newsletter to see if it is a helpful thing. If it is more a sales gimmick, I will not keep using the newsletter though!

I still like sparkpeople.com the most. It has been a good fit for me and my style of making healthy changes in my life. Everyone should read or look at all types of different things to find what fits or what works best for them, personally. Everyone of us is unique. Our plans of attack should be unique too!

I hope you enjoyed this book review. I am working on another one already! Be kind to yourself today. We are all so lucky to have another day to live!

Dagnabit!

2011-09-17T11:46:00.004-05:00

Well piffle! I gained this week. I am not sure why. I am up 1.8 pounds though. I looked at what I have been doing this past week and nothing jumps out at me yet as a direct cause for the gain.

Oh well. This has happened before and I am not going to let it get to me! I am still happy about where I am at and excited about where I might be going!

In the past I've gone up a tad and then dropped a huge amount. Maybe this is one of those types of plateaus? They say the body does not give up metabolism changes easily. It hangs on to every fat cell it can, keeping them nice and plump!

The only things I can think of that might affect me is that I have been making it a point to eat breakfast. I have added a tablespoon of sugar a day to my diet. I have also added a pat of butter a day. I honestly would like to think that this would not pile the pounds on so easily! This week has been different, exercise wise too. Next week I will be back on a more normal routine as there are no meetings or appointments going on that might slow things down for the week.

NEVER GIVE UP!!! That is the motto for this week. See you back here soon! I have more book reviews coming and maybe some recipes.

I still feel great! So no sad frowny faces today! Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!

Walking is too much fun!

2011-09-16T15:05:00.004-05:00

I've been walking that trail I found, instead of going to the gym. The weather is so cool out and I just couldn't resist walking instead of going inside a building! Tomorrow I will go to the pool though, as I need to do some stretching and pool workouts that don't jar the joints as much.

This morning I did a hair over three and a half miles!!! I ran a little bit too, so it was quite the workout. I've felt invigorated all day. This is just a smidgen over 5K, so I think I can start considering entering a race someday. I don't want to do it to win, but I want the tee shirt! hahahaha! I might even do something like the Run for the Cure. I wonder if I would look good in pink? I wonder if I could get sponsors? There is a lot to think about and hope for, next year. I think this is added motivation for me to continue on this new life I am leading!

I had such a treat today! I have needed a pair of in-between jeans. I am right between fitting into the skinny jeans I have in the closet and drowning in any of the larger sizes. Today I took all those baggy saggy fat jeans to the thrift shop and bought myself a pair of perfectly fitted jeans. I also found a gorgeous two piece light sweater set for spring. I can almost wear it now, but would feel better if I were still smaller in the hips and waist before wearing this new set. Oh, I forgot to mention that I had a 20% off coupon to use in exchange for the donated jeans. My purchases today were less than ten bucks.
I tried everything on at home and then started looking in my winter closet for a light weight long sleeved shirt to wear for the rest of the day. I found my old Halloween witchy tee shirt and put it on. The last time I wore it was over a year ago and it was too tight on me then. It hangs on me now! It is comfy though, and I will keep it to wear around the house when I want to wear comfy stuff. (I still think it is SO cool that this shirt just hangs on me though!!!)

I love being skinny(er)! Even if I am still overweight, I don't care what others say, I FEEL skinny!

Fish tonight and weigh-in tomorrow. I hope I've reached that big goal weight that is just a hair's breath away!!! If not, I will try again next week!

See ya next time!

LOOKIE What I Found in my Back Yard!!!

2011-09-11T18:04:00.002-05:00

They have closed down some railroad tracks near my house. I now have a new route to add to my walking. It is fun to not always be on asphalt! I even saw a fawn! This is sooooo cool!

I found out that walking on this type of terrain is a real workout too! My knee didn't hurt but I was huffing and puffing as if I were running! As soon as I was back on the streets, my knee was twinging again. I will be utilizing this trail a lot more on future walks!

I hope your weekend is going well. We started the morning off with a moment of silence to recognize the day. We are so lucky. Those folks that passed away on 9-11 didn't have the choice to improve their lives and to finish living them to their potentials. We have no excuse to abuse ourselves. Let's keep getting healthy and remember just how fortunate we are.

Almost There!

2011-09-10T18:52:00.002-05:00

Less than a half pound to go and I will have lost a total of 75 pounds! I thought I had reached that today at weigh in but when I went back and redid the math, I found out I was wrong. lol I was NOT upset about this though because I had lost two pounds since last Saturday!
I hope to write something more witty later this week. It has been a busy day. One little thing I want to mention though, is that I just found out there will be a new walking trail so close to my house that I can use it often! I am very excited about this!

Hang in there, and don't EVER give up!
See you soon!

More than just a book review

2011-09-01T10:33:00.006-05:00

How about TWO book reviews? (and more) After getting yesterday's post done, I decided to come back today and do more! First up is:

"The 17 Day Diet" by Dr. Mike Moreno

I am always a skeptic when it comes to these types of books. This book was no exception. Does it work? Yes. Is it magic? No. This is just another example of the latest fad diet out there. They've launched this book with a full media blitz on TV and the Internet. CBS News, ABC TV, Dr. Phil, The Doctors and more have had stories about it. There is a web site you can join up with. There is a workbook and a DVD you can buy, to go with the book. With promises of rapid weight loss and astounding results, it is easy to see the lure.

Save your money.

It is basically a low calorie diet (one day's suggested menu was under 1200 calories for the whole day). It is heavy on veggies, light on fruits, and low on carbs. You can eat a lot of proteins, as long as they are chicken, fish, and other lean meats. You don't have to actually count calories, which will appeal to many. It is divided up into three - 17 day chunks that change up your foods a little. (quote) "But you do have to accept that this won't be a pleasure diet. You've got to stop eating unhealthy crap." This is nothing new, but rather just a different way of stating the tried and true, 'calories in, calories out' that ultimately works for most people. They also have exercising in the program, so it really is not anything new and ground breaking.

The "maintenance" plan is: (quote) "....a program of eating that lets you enjoy your favorite foods on the weekends, while eating healthfully during the week."
Well duh! Doesn't this amount to cutting calories? And don't you think folks will read into this that they can do fast food all weekend and still lose weight?

So I would not spend the money to buy into this, even though it does work, it isn't anything new or special or magical. If you are looking for something to follow that is laid out for you, then this might be for you. Just be aware that it IS brand new and comes across as being the diet fad of the year...next year will bring a new and different plan with a catchy name. I am sure it will make money for the doctor and might help some folks out as well. Most of these fad diets will work to some extent, but they are not a new miracle cure for obesity.

Speaking of obesity...someone said to me this week, "You don't look obese anymore!" I suppose some folks would take that as a slam, but I took it as a full blown compliment! My mind's eye still sees a fat woman. It is only when I glimpse the hall mirror, in passing, that I see this stranger looking back at me! Who IS that woman???
Before the next book review, I wanted to mention something else to you. I've been enjoying my Dannon vanilla Greek yogurt a bit too much. I was having two or three a day, mostly after supper, as my dessert. Heck, I was buying this stuff by the CASE! I finally figured out why. It has 18 (that is EIGHTEEN) grams of sugar in it! That is TWO THIRDS more sugar than plain yogurt. (Plain has 6 grams of sugar) No wonder it tasted so good! Guess who isn't buying this any more? I still like Greek yogurt the best, but it will be Yoplait or Dannon PLAIN Greek, from now on. I will add the flavorings myself and not the sugars!!! I hate when I have to give up my indulgences!!! I hate being fat, more!

Book review #2:"The Skinny- What Every Skinny Woman Knows About Dieting

(And Won't Tell You!)"
by Patricia Marx and Susan Sistrom

What a fun book this was! Patricia Marx actually is a prolific writer, usually with a wicked sense of humor too! This book has a lot of funny material, interlaced with real truisms! Some of the chapters are:

Making It Look Big
Calories Per Minute
The Best Way to Look Skinny
What to Do if You Really, Really Need to Lose Five Pounds in Five Minutes
Naked Eating
Space Travel
What to Do if You Accidentally Drink a Coke Instead of a Diet Coke
No, Really, what to Do if you Accidentally Drink a coke Instead of a Diet Coke
The Outside vs. the Inside of a Food
Why You Should Never Tell Your Mother You're on a Diet

There are many, many more chapters.

In the "Calories Per Minute" (CPM) chapter, I took this excerpt: "The difference in calories per ounce is marginal, but the pistachios with shells are unquestionably the Skinny Choice. (The CPM for pistachios can be even lower than 80 because you are likely to get stuck on a particularly hard-to-crack nut or even break your nail and have to stop eating nuts for a while. If you are very lucky, you will slice open your finger on a shell and have to go to the hospital, where you will cause the CPM to go down even farther. We advise, therefore, to buy the pistachios nuts that must opened with power tools.)"

I would get this book and have it by your nightstand to read. The chapters are short and funny. You would go to bed with a smile on your face! Your partner will wonder what you're thinking, so share the book with him or her too.

That is it for today and for the rest of this week! I am still working out the kinks in my new routine and trying to decide the best plan of action. I see my doctor on Tuesday and will be asking him questions too.

Enjoy your day and have a safe and fun filled Labor Day weekend y'all!

Catch as Catch Can

2011-08-31T11:02:00.005-05:00

I have SO much to say and I keep putting off writing in this blog! That only made things worse, so here goes, pimples and all!

SMOKING: I think I have that kicked again. I was smoking for about ten days and it has been almost a week now, since I quit...again! I plan to not start next time until I am 75.

WEIGH IN: A shocking 4.5 pound loss! I keep thinking the scale has to be broken. I've been limping along with one pound (or less) gains and losses for weeks now. I hope the new exercise program is what is kicking off the pounds! The food is staying the same.

VIRTUAL 5K: Yes, that button on the right says I have entered "Trick or Treat Trot - Virtual 5K" over on sparkpeople.com. I am becoming a convert to their website. It has more than I need and I only have to take what I want from their site, to use to my advantage.
Not long ago I read a book about a lady who ran her first 5K. I have seen stories on TV about how people who started to take care of themselves and exercised, often ended up challenging themselves to a race. This one is perfect because I can run it alone. Correction: run/walk, not run. And I am not sure about the running part of it either.

DOCTOR: Annual checkup is right after Labor Day. I wonder what the doctor will say about the changes in my life? I also plan to ask him about my knee. I don't want to blow it out and get laid up! It is twinging, but it doesn't last long. Best to ask this doctor, who has seen x-rays of this same knee. I want his opinion about me continuing the running part of my exercises.

EXERCISES: I am trying to do Yoga (one hour) and 5K training on the treadmill for 30 minutes, on Mondays. Tuesday is 60 minutes of pool aerobics. Wednesday repeats Monday with Yoga and treadmill. Thursday is pool aerobics. Friday is weight machines, treadmill and maybe a little pool stretching. Saturday is pool. Sunday is a wild card day. I either walk in the neighborhood, or go to the pool for an hour, or take the day off. I am also walking to get my son at school each day. That adds about 20 minutes of walking.

I guess I am a bit over my 60 minute a day regime, huh? I actually might be pushing myself a bit too much though. I don't know yet. I currently, worry about two things. One is getting hurt. The other is...what do I do when I reach goal weight? Assuming I actually DO reach goal weight, what then? How will my lifestyle be then? The possible end IS in sight and I wonder...what will it be like?

How DO skinny people live? Do they eat nothing? Do they ever exercise? Why does it seem they can eat tons of food and not gain an ounce and I catch a whiff of cheesecake and gain ten pounds? These are the mysteries of life I guess.

I hope to have a few book reviews soon. I just needed to get some of this other stuff out of my head. It is crowded enough in there!

See ya next time!

What the @#^&%&%##*%

2011-08-20T14:28:00.003-05:00

Another gain today. What have I done wrong? I checked my foods and the calories are not there. I know I exercised more than normal this week. On Tuesday on a different scale, it showed a hugs loss. I was expecting several pounds gone today! They keep hanging on to me! Or am I hanging on to them???

So what was the problem? I've been eating more yogurt than normal (three or four for 'dessert') and eating it shortly before bedtime. How can THAT be the issue? I have done that before.

I am not sure. Thank goodness it is only a half pound-ish.

This next week I plan to do Yoga on Monday and Wednesday. I plan to stay on task with my foods. I also will not buy strawberries because they led to a feeding frenzy this week of strawberries and yogurt. It works so well here to keep the foods I crave the most, out of the pantry and fridge.

See you next week!

The Summer's End

2011-08-16T18:40:00.002-05:00

In case some of you worried, I am doing fine. I have stopped smoking again and don't plan to use that terrible crutch for a long time, if ever!

With that and the end of summer there are so many changes coming up! I love it! I am back at the center and scouting out new ways of exercising. I plan to try a variety in order to stir things up!

I also took advantage of the free blood pressure, weight, and health check-up today. This happens each Tuesday. I was tickled to find out that I had lost 17 pounds over the past ten weeks. I did it! I made it through in flying colors! Yay me! :D

I hope your summer is ending on a positive note! I adore autumn and can hardly wait for the weather to change. More walks with Ziva sound divine!

Have a great week...one step at a time.

Talking Sense

2011-08-14T09:02:00.002-05:00

I am talking some sense into my brain. I need my old pal Eeyore to tell me to knock it off and get back into the healthier lifestyle I have been working towards.
What happened? Not much. I did gain a whopping point four pounds. That is less than a half pound. This past week has been rough. We sold our RV last weekend and it was so very hard to let go of it! We had had such fun in it as we traveled throughout northern California, as musicians at various renaissance faires! Then when we were forced out of CA and moved to Arkansas, it was our home for six weeks.
Anyway, we were very attached to that silly hunk of fiberglass and metal, but it was time to let it go. The process really went well. We sold it to the first party that looked at it. The process also triggered a LOT of emotions.

In the midst of all this, I have basically plateaued on the weight loss. I tried to say it didn't bother me, but it did. I did a stupid thing. I turned to my old nemesis, the cigarette. Yes, I hate to admit this, but I have started smoking again. Shame on me! I could cite all the excuses about the emotional roller coaster of late, the fact that my husband smokes, and that this last week of summer vacation was extra challenging to get my exercises done. These are all just excuses though.

Today I will end it by sticking a patch on and stopping the insanity!

I redid my goals and such on sparkpeople.com this morning. This chart shows my progress over the summer:

This is a good thing! The chart shows a downward swing all summer. With school back in session tomorrow, I will now be back at the center and plan to change up my exercise routine. I won't put in longer session, but I will amp up the intensity. The almost 70 pound loss since last fall/winter has left me more fit and stronger! My knees are doing very good and it is time to push myself a bit more. I am researching my plan of attack.

I made a new chart today and set a goal to be in the one hundreds by Christmas. I cannot imagine that! I CAN achieve it though!

Scold me if you must over my slip up, and share with me, getting back on track. This is just a little track repair job that I need to do and WILL do!

See you next week!

Bits and Pieces

2011-08-10T13:15:00.008-05:00

I figure that if I learn something that I didn't know, there may be others who don't know either! That is why I am writing this entry today.

What I recently read about was in regards to ingredient labels on various foods. Most of us know that the manufacturers list the foods in order of most to least. If a food is mostly water, water is listed first. If a food is mostly say...peas, then peas would be listed first.

Here's the kicker though...(unless this has changed and I didn't catch it)....say you are reading a food label and you see fructose listed as the tenth ingredient. This seems pretty good, right? The sweetener is way down there. Let's say the 12th ingredient is molasses. Cool, right? The sugars are way down the list of ingredients. This must be a good food, right?

Wrong!!! Because the manufacturer does not have to list all sugars together, they can use several different types of sugars to make it seem like smaller amounts, therefore they are way down on the lists. IF they had to list ALL sugars as one group, you would find sugars/sweeteners, a lot higher up on the list of ingredients.

I hate reading labels. I hate that the manufacturers do this. I totally understand why they do though! Let's hope this changes in the future and if we can, help that change to go through!

Meanwhile, keep reading those labels!!!

I have spent most of the summer at the local swimming pool with my ten year old son. I always put in an hour of mild aerobics and had been going about five times a week for an hour each time. I never feel like it is a hard workout, but it is more than I ever used to do!

Next week my boy goes back to school and I am free to go back to the gym to exercise. (I am lucky and have a local Sr. Center that has a full gym and pool and is VERY affordable) I know there will be a major difference in the intensity of my workouts!

Here in central Arkansas, it has been a blistering hot summer with temps over 100° for most of June and July. Temps have been in the high eighties and humid, even in the early mornings until today. I saw 70° on the thermometer and headed out. I haven't walked outside since about May!!! I dodged some rare rain showers and did a walk of 1.7 miles! I was pleased to see that all the pool work wasn't too soft on my body and that I even RAN for one minute! ME!!! I don't run! Of course I don't wear shorts either. hahaha

I am now just starting to fit into sizes 18-20 after starting out in sizes 26-28. It feels SO good to fit into smaller clothes again!!! I am glad I saved my most favorite 'skinny' clothes, like the bell bottoms from my wedding! I should be wearing them on a regular basis, this fall!

It has been super hard to let go of the 'fat' clothes though! I never have let them go in the past because I figured I would fail and would need them again. I am taking away that excuse this time. :D

I was able to sell a few clothes but most of the time I have been donating them. I wish some could be donated to me! (a friend did just give me a couple things, a few days ago...most were still too small, but at least I have something to look forward to!) I don't buy a lot of clothing right now and haven't bought anything new, other than unmentionables and a swimsuit for aerobics water classes.

I plan to reward myself with something extra special, clothing-wise, when I reach my goal weight. You won't find it at Wal-K-Targ stores either! lolol

Measuring Up

2011-08-07T08:21:00.003-05:00

Later today I plan to take my measurements. I don't do this often because I find that while I DO lose the pounds, I don't lose the inches yet. At least not to MY standards!

I lost three pounds last week!

That would be three of the above photo or one of the picture below:

That burger doesn't even look good! (shudder)

I have been busy this week. There is one more week of summer vacation left for my son. Once he is back in school, I am back to the center! I am looking forward to changing up my exercises. I was shocked at this week's loss too! I wonder what will happen when I start doing more cardio and weight lifting?

I want to remind you to keep reading those food labels too! The manufacturers are getting sneakier and sneakier!!! Recently a food was found that sounded really really good! It was low in calories and fats but presented itself as a tasty treat. In reading the fine print, however, it was noted that the calories and fat listed were for a half serving. If you hadn't noticed it, you would have eaten enough for a whole meal!

I hate having to keep an eye on everything. I love my weight loss and this new me more! Love yourself more than food today! See you next week!

Oh Poor Me...NOT!!!

2011-07-31T08:17:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I really DO feel like poor Eeyore. So sad. So down in the dumps. This journey though, has shown me that a sad day is most often followed by a better day and then a happier day!

That is what happened a week ago, yesterday. After a .2 gain last Saturday, that really shouldn't count for much, this week I had a .6 loss. That really shouldn't count either, but I am counting it anyway! I think I am hovering around a plateau right now. I am mostly, okay with this. I know I need to change up my exercise routine a bit, in order to push for bigger losses again.

In two weeks my son goes back to school and I plan to do just that, change up my exercises! It is still very hot here in central Arkansas and I look forward to the days I can walk my dog outside again! Until then, once I am more free to go back into the gym at the center, I will keep exercising in the pool. It might not be doing much for weight loss, but I feel it is still keeping major weight gain from happening!

I am still riding the 'high' from being able to fit into those jeans this last week!

I am excited that I have this pair and two others that I saved from all those many years ago! I will be wearing them this fall and winter. I like them so much that if I lose too much and get too small for them and keep that weight off, I will have them professionally altered to fit. They are bell bottoms and I am such a hippy chick at heart!Don't be an Eeyore! Keep on with your personal program and KNOW that a better day always comes, IF you really WANT it to! Besides, who wants to be blue unless they are in the Blue Man Group?!!!

See you next week!

I am Doing Fine!

2011-07-28T10:30:00.003-05:00

Just a quick hello! After that tough weekend I thought I should share that I am doing better. This morning I tried on clothes that I have saved for over 11 years. That is the blouse I wore when I got married! I admit I have a muffin-top above those jeans, but I could button them, zip them, and sit down in them, today! I will be wearing them this fall and winter, for sure! I tried those jeans on about three months ago and could not even button them!
Moral of the story: Never give up! I am NOT!

She IS Human, After All!

2011-07-24T17:38:00.003-05:00

At Saturday's meeting I gained point two pounds. Ooooooooooooooooooooo! I am quitting. This isn't worth it. Why bother? I am a failure. I am bad. I suck. I am not worthy. So what?
At the meeting, someone said to me that I really was human, after all! Just because I have been successful these past eight months, doesn't mean I am a super hero! I did decide to take today off though. I have not exercised. I am still eating like I should. I am not giving up. I even had TWO cigarettes today because we found some, laying about! I won't have any tomorrow.

OMG! Does this blow your mind? See? I truly AM human and I DO have my better days and my not-so-great days. In the past, I would give up and gorge myself. I might smoke a pack of cigarettes. I might drink a bottle of wine. I am not doing that, this time. Tomorrow I will exercise, as I normally do. I might even add a bit of time to it, just to atone for being naughty today.

That is what this is all about! We are all human. We will have days like these. It is not an excuse to give up and lay down and die. At least it is not for me. I have lost over 60 pounds! I am not about to throw that away! I am not giving up.

See you next week.
Me, The Human

He Look-a Like-a Man!

2011-07-17T11:28:00.006-05:00

Remember that comedy bit on "Mad TV"? Ms Swan would make comments, with her awful accent, in those hilarious skits. Anyway, I came across the above clip art and although it is a silhouette of a man, it still works.

I don't see myself as being the first one in line. I think I was there before the surgery back in'81 though. In my current lifestyle change program, I think I was most like number three or four. And now I think I am between five and six. Will I ever be an eight? I dunno. How about a nine? That is not even in this picture!

Have you ever wondered about your body image? You may have heard that anorexics see themselves as huge, fat, obese, people when they look in the mirror. They might be walking skeletons but they don't see themselves that way.

How do obese people see themselves? Are we so afraid to look into a mirror for more than a glance, that we don't really know what we see?
For many, myself included, it is a self esteem issue. For the past eight months, I have been working on my inside self, just as much as my outside self. Both selves are hard to deal with at times! Take a good long look at yourself in the mirror. I don't care if you have clothes on or not, but if not, please pull the curtains so you don't scare the neighbors!!!

It is easy to pick out what we don't like about ourselves. Make yourself pick out what you DO like! Always walk away from a mirror with a smile. It really will help you like yourself.

This also works with photographs. Take photos of yourself as you make changes in your life. Really see what you look good in and what makes you look worse. Learn
how to dress yourself in the most flattering ways.

These three photos of me are taken just a few weeks apart. There isn't that huge of a weight loss between the first and last one. The difference is in what clothes I am wearing and how I am wearing them! If you think you look better, you will carry yourself better and you will look better and feel better! It is one of those vicious cycles, but in a good way.

I was down another two pounds at my weigh-in yesterday. I was surprised again! I am afraid to let my guard down just yet. I know I am due for a plateau any week now. I don't know how I will handle that, when it happens. I am trying to keep a positive attitude and to keep looking at the new me, in the mirror. I think that will get me through a plateau and on to continued success!

That's all I have to share with you today. So get out and go for a walk or swim!!!

Perfectionism

2011-07-10T09:02:00.005-05:00

There was a very good article in my Spark People newsletter this morning. It talked about everything in moderation. The last page of the article had this paragraph:

"By refusing to be a perfectionist, you can take most of the stress out of weight loss. You’ll see small problems as what they are—very small problems, not major calamities that mean you've blown it. You'll be able to find pleasure and satisfaction in the fact you’re learning as you go and doing a little better all the time. No more making things worse because your perfectionism caused you to write off the rest of the day or week after one little slip."

I suffer from a mild anxiety disorder and perfectionism issues used to trigger failure. It used to be if I ate one bite of a 'bad food' I may as well give up, forever. I bet a lot of folks think this way. I have finally gotten to where I recognize many of these triggers and have been able to overcome them more and more. I no longer see things as an absolute.

This morning I actually gave in to something that has been on my mind for a long time. My husband likes to get doughnuts every Sunday morning. Most of the time I pass on having any. This morning, I did not. This was my plate:
That is one eighth of a maple frosted cream filled Long John and a doughnut hole. One whole Long John has 425 calories and 11 grams of fat. I made it a plan to have just a little bit...just a little taste. Using a tool that we discussed in the weight loss support group yesterday, I took my time, eating the Long John. The trick is that you are supposed to savor and enjoy your food. You are not supposed to wolf it down as fast as you can! The faster you can eat, the more you can stuff in your tummy! Right?

I gave myself permission to eat the doughnut slowly. I managed to divide it into three bites. I actually did not eat the doughnut hole! In class yesterday, our Fearless Leader restated the fact that the first bite of food packs the most flavor punch. We taste the first mouthful of food the most intensely. This really is true. I found that third morsel of this Long John had little to no flavor. I could not even taste the maple frosting. In fact, the whole thing didn't taste as good as I had imagined. This made it easy to pass on the doughnut hole.
In a perfect world, it used to be that that bite of doughnut would mean failure. In a realistic world, it is not! I continue to strive to slow down and taste my food. It is one of the hardest things for me to learn. I have made some progress though. Think of the tortoise and eat slowly. Taste your food!!! And if your food is not satisfying to your palate, don't waste your calories on it. Toss it and find something more to your liking.
That is my advice for today! Now go for a walk, if the temperatures are cooler where you are. I am headed to the pool this afternoon. See you next week!

KABOOM!!!

2011-07-09T13:50:00.003-05:00

I weighed in today. I thought I might be down a pound or two, but not three point six pounds!!! I made another milestone! Almost 63 pounds have gone away, over the past eight months!

I can hardly believe it! I plan to reward myself with a new swimsuit.

I was going to be all philosophical on today's posting too! You will have to forgive me though, because I am just so in shock over this milestone event!

I still worry about that fatter gal I left behind. I hope she retires now and leaves me to enjoy the rest of my life in a more normal and healthy way! I have a lot of work to do to get my brain in order too. My life constantly evolves and changes as the 'new' me emerges. It is true, what they say, you do feel almost reborn in a new body!

At night, when laying in bed, my knees hit each other now. I can feel my ribs and hip bones. It is all strange, this new body. I hate the saggy flabby parts and sometimes wish I had the money to get a few nips and tucks on my belly and underarms. I am just not vain enough to do that. I will have to get creative with my clothing. I know most people still see a fat woman walking around. I feel skinny though and what I feel...counts!

See ya next time!

Quick Update!

2011-07-08T10:37:00.004-05:00

This is a quick shout-out to Shirley and all the gang at the center: "I miss you all too! Only five more weeks to go before I am back with you all again!"

I have spent the summer reading, swimming, and trying to keep on track with everything. I just had the Forth of July Invasion of all my adult kids and my son-in-law here at the house. It was hard to resist all the tempting holiday treats! It helped that my daughter has declared herself to be a Vegan. She and I were able to share many foods! I won't know until tomorrow if the snacking and lack of exercising, did any damage. I only really missed one day, so it really isn't that bad!

I have tackled several stressful issues over the past ten days. I really recognized the 'old me' trying to rear her head and take over the 'new me'! The AC went out in our RV that my daughter and her husband were going to stay in and getting that fixed the week before a huge holiday weekend wasn't easy! I was frazzled by all the company coming and by getting everything ready to go. I wanted to eat and I wanted a cigarette. I resisted both.

I will admit I had a coupe crackers that I normally would not have touched. I also had a couple puffs of my husband's cigarette. However, I got right back in the right frame of mind and am not smoking again, nor am I over-eating. In the past, I would have been doing both as well as drinking! No wonder I was fat!!! It is interesting to me when I discover such things about my psyche.

But I did it! Although I missed one day of planned exercising, I DID manage to go swimming, WITH the family, at the same pool I have been going to all summer! So YA me!

I am working on trying to sell off some of my fat clothes now. I have recently had to buy about 95% of the clothes that are currently hanging in my closet. I had donated a lot of clothes but I could really use some money to buy new clothing. I shop at the thrift stores, so it isn't like I am needing new, off the rack, clothing! Anyway, it is all working out. It is all working out s-l-o-w-l-y, which is the way it is supposed to when you are making a life-style change!

I hope to have a better posting over the weekend. Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I am only one pound away from having lost 60 pounds!!! Wish me luck!

About Those Pizzas

2011-06-29T08:22:00.008-05:00

I have come to the conclusion that the Kroger store brand Margherita pizza has the most bang for your buck....I mean the most food for your calories. I checked the sizes and calories of the other brands and none were even close.
I even came across an ad for fat free pizzas that you could order online for delivery to your home! Wow, that sounds great, doesn't it?
Here is the product they are selling. Nice packaging.

The price is a bit high and I am sorry I forgot to check to see if this includes shipping or not. 6 Fat Free Pizzas - $29.94. Only $4.99 each!
You could also buy in bulk, order several hundred dollars worth of pizzas, and get a better per-pizza bargain.

Now we get to the nitty gritty stuff. Here is their nutritional label:Wow! A WHOLE pizza for less than 300 calories!!!???!!! This is amazing!!! Ummm, did you read the fine print? It is a whole six ounce pizza. That is even smaller than the 11 ounce Kashi pizza that came in a box that is the same size as Red Baron's Pizzas.

I am still going to see if I can work up a fast, easy, low fat, low calorie pizza crust. I know there are tons of recipes out there for them. I have tried a few and ... yuck. I will let you know if I find something better!

Now go for a walk!

Real or Not Real?

2011-06-27T15:14:00.004-05:00

That is the question! Whether it is nobler to have the real deal or to save fat and calories and eat chemicals, ah yes, that IS the question! (Hey! I never said I was a Shakespearean actor!!!)
The consensus has been that we should always eat as close to real foods as we can. Butter has cream and salt in it. I am not going to go into all the chemicals in margarine. All of the "diet" products I have come across though, have a lot of chemicals in them to replace the great tastes of the real deal.

I am on the fence about this debate. I rely heavily on my fat free cheeses, occasional diet soda, and fat free yogurts. How can I stay on a low fat food plan if I don't? True lettuce is kinda pure, but the fat free dressing isn't! I wouldn't be able to eat anything that I could enjoy!!! Waa, waa, waa!!!

Seriously though...I choose to do a low fat diet. I see it as my personal-right-for-ME plan of healthier eating. I was eating WAY too much fat before. Since my diet is a lifestyle change for me...one that I can live with for the rest of my life...I need to make it healthy, low-fat, and tasty! If I don't, I will fail. I know I will, because life is about food and sharing of food and eating food. Well, in our society it is anyway. I have also failed in the past when I don't eat food that satisfies.

So what's a mother to do? Research. Yes, I will have to do more reading, more research, more in-depth studying to figure out this dilemma. At the same time, I am looking into making my own fat free Greek style vanilla yogurt! This is my all time favorite yogurt, as it mixes with everything so well.

I was down another pound last Saturday! I am so close to the 60 pounds lost goal! I am very pleased that the change in my exercise routine has not affected my weight in a negative way!

There are always challenges. I miss being able to exercise in the mornings and think about it all day until I get it out of the way. I don't like that about myself. But, I will just keep working on ME!

Now go...exercise...or eat a banana ...you shouldn't be sitting here at your computer!!!

Back in the Middle With You!

2011-06-21T07:04:00.003-05:00

I was reading an article on Sparkpeople.com this morning, about a doctor who lost 140 pounds and has kept it off for about three years. She said as a 300 pound doctor, she wasn't taken seriously. As a healthier and fit doctor she "couldn't possibly know what it is like to be obese".
I have thought of such things in a similar vein this past couple weeks, especially when at the local public swimming pool. I have reached the halfway mark on my weight loss journey. I am sure when people see me, that don't know me, they only see a fat woman. They don't realize I have lost close to 60 pounds already! I feel like walking up to everyone of them and saying, "I know you don't see it, but I have lost over fifty pounds!" Isn't that silly?

Oh You Silly Woman!!!

2011-06-19T08:43:00.006-05:00

Have you seen a pattern in my blog? I have. Every once in a while, I have an off week...a week where I am doubting everything I am doing...a week where I am thinking I should just give up. How silly is that? Because I have had over 45 years of practice, I can now recognize this pattern of thinking for what it is: SABOTAGE!!!
My inner child is trying to sabotage my outer adult! This is one time where spanking a child can be done without guilt! I have sent that child to her corner to pout and am back in my happier mood! YES, losing a couple pounds this week helped. I admit it! I am silly because I think I may have misread the scale on Wednesday!!!

I wanted to treat myself for having lost that first 50 pounds. Instead of a food treat, I got myself some hot pink Crocs sandals! I love Crocs and have acquired several pairs this year. I have bright colors and am getting away from the dull black colors that used to be 99% of my wardrobe. I think color in your closet makes you happier!

In other news, I tried another Margherita pizza. I found the Kashi brand in our store. You may recall I had tried the Kroger store brand with good results. I figured Kashi should be healthier. Isn't that their brand image, that they are a healthier choice? I did the same portions with the Kashi, that I had done with the Kroger brand. For half a pizza:
Kashi: 435 calories with 14 grams of fat.
Krogers: 420 calories with 18 grams of fat.
At first glance, it would seem that if you want to cut the fats you would go with the Kashi pizza. If you want to cut calories you would cut the Krogers pizza. They are very close in comparison. BUT what I found out was that the Kashi pizza is TINY! I was SO MAD when I opened the box and found their pizza was smaller! The box was the same size as normal frozen pizza boxes but the content was about half the size!!! Talk about deception! Taking this size difference into consideration, the Kroger store brand had a lot more food for the calories than the Kashi.

So beware when comparing pizzas. The Red Baron pizza we get for the boys, weighs 21oz. and my Kashi pizza was 11oz. I wish I had noticed that before!!! I am not sure what the Kroger pizza weighs exactly, but I know it was closer to the Red Baron size than the skimpy Kashi size.

I still have to find the Newman's Pizza and I may try the California Margherita one. I had tried the California pizzas a few years ago and found the crust to be very lacking in taste and texture.
You can bet I will read the weights on these pizzas and compare them to
the Kroger one again. Just an added note: I have not found the pre-made pizza crusts to be a healthy choice and I may decide to give up and make my own crusts in the future.

Did I tell you I bought an exercise bike? It could have been this one, from this old ad from the early 70's. It isn't perfect and has a few issues, but I am using it a couple times a week. I only do about ten minutes a time on it though, as it really tires my legs out! This is a good thing!

I met my goal for this ten week period. I am getting real close to a SIXTY pound loss! I have never ever ever done this for such a long time, in a healthy manner, with exercising involved, and am just amazed this is working! What is the difference? I think a huge part is that I am not doing this on my own this time. Folks do say that support groups are important. Guess what? They were right!

I had to show this bag of dog food again. It is a 40 pound bag and is the actual one I drag into the house every few weeks. I still cannot believe I lost more weight than this bag weighs!

This next week should be a lot like last week, as far as exercise goes. There is no end in sight of the 90+ temperatures that have kept me in a pool or indoors to exercise! We need the rain, badly!

Thanks for reading my blog today. Is there anything you would like me to talk about? I have some ideas for a future blog posting and might do one in the middle of the week.
Anyway, it is Father's Day today and I need to help my son get his presents ready to give to his dad. I hope you are having a great day and will come back soon!
Bye for now!

Pool Party!

2011-06-17T13:43:00.007-05:00

Today has been a little bit better. Since my glum-day on Wednesday, I have puzzled and puzzled over why I was having a tough time. I came up with several itty bitty thoughts that added up to one big pity party! I KNOW this stuff happens. I also know I can get through it this time. I know I can, I know I can, I know I can....I WILL!!!

In no particular order, things that triggered my glum-day were these:

1. I saw a TV show that said the fat guy in the pool aerobics class, wasn't going to lose any weight that way because it isn't a real workout.

2. I was bored at the local outdoor swimming pool as I have no one to pass the time with, so time seems to drag on and on and on there.

3. I realized I really do not like exercising in the afternoon and I want to exercise in the mornings. I want to get it out of my way so I don't have to obsess about it until I DO get it done.

4. I stepped on the scale during the middle of the week, not wearing the clothing that I normally wear to weigh-in. I had on heavier clothes because I was working out in the gym. I was wearing real shoes not my sandals; pants and top, not skirt and blouse; and it wasn't the same time of day even. How can I compare week to week if I am not being consistent?

5. The elliptical hurt my knee so I couldn't do that. The half hour on the treadmill about killed me! I thought I could walk????????

6. I am tired.

7. Food has not been satisfying to me lately. I have the munchies and don't even have a reason to have them!

What am I doing to solve my dilemma? I first turned to online searches to find motivation. I then adjusted my workout schedule. I am doing a few minutes of either the bike, the Wii, or just using dumbbells to exercise 10-30 minutes at home. This way I only have to worry about half as much time in the pool or gym. It seems to be helping already. My brain is coming back on track and I think I am going to be okay again!

I have about nine or ten more weeks of this summer vacation. I can do this. I have to! I don't want to be fatter than I am and would rather be skinnier!!!

I weigh in, officially, tomorrow. I hope it surprises me. But if not, I know I will be okay! Shirley, a friend from the pool, left me a nice note that has stuck with me all day. She only said what I have been saying to myself these past few days, but it was nice to hear it from someone else too. Thank you Shirley!

A quick note about these past few days. I never went off my food program and I still did my minimum of 60 minutes per day of on-purpose-exercise! Why do I note this? Because in the past, I would have quit and been eating burgers at Hardee's by now. I live about two blocks from one! hahahahahaha!!!

Okay, now it is time to say bye for today everyone! See you after this weekend!

Not A Good Day...

2011-06-15T13:53:00.003-05:00

It has now been a full week since my son has been out of school. I KNEW what happened today would eventually happen, and since today was the day it happened, I am glum and am writing about it.

I have made it to the outdoor pool every day I planned to, and exercised as planned. I have made it to the indoor pool over the weekend and exercised . I have been eating within my personal food plan. Today was the first day I tried using the gym at the senior center. As I suspected and dreaded, I couldn't really do anything. I got on the elliptical first. That hurt my knee and I gave up after five minutes. Next I went to the treadmill. I did a mile and a half in 30 minutes and feel like I have run a marathon! I had a suspicion that I wasn't getting enough out of the pool workouts and this has confirmed it.

As I left the treadmill behind, I looked at the different exercise machines, knowing I still had 30 more minutes of exercise to do. I sadly walked on by. I was rubber legged and tired and very discouraged. Did I mention I had gained a couple pounds? I weighed in on the 'Saturday Scale' that I always use. It was up.

Now what do I do? I KNOW this is a tough spot for me to be in. I KNOW this is a prime example of a time when I have quit in the past.

Stay tuned to see how this turns out!

I Ate Half a Pizza!

2011-06-13T14:57:00.003-05:00

You should have seen the looks I got from that comment when I was at my weight support group on Saturday! I must preface this by saying I used to eat a whole pizza before I started changing things. These are not pizzeria pizzas. I am referring to the frozen ones you get in the grocery stores.

I love pizza. I have been trying for months to create a pizza that not only tastes good to me, but that is within my comfort range of calories, fat, and volume. You can eat most any pizza if you limit yourself to one slice. I just haven't gotten to that point yet.

I tried using pita bread, burrito wraps, and tomato basil wraps as the crusts for my concoctions. None of these were very satisfying. I tried finding a frozen pizza that worked and until I found the Krogers Thin Crust Margherita pizza, I had been unsuccessful. This pizza's serving size is 1/3 of a pizza! I added veggie toppings that I personally like and oh my, this was good! I figured out the calories in half of the pizza too. I cut the frozen pizza in half, re-wrapped the other half and put it back in the freezer before it thawed. This way I can load all my toppings and have a half pizza that really satisfies me! I then have the other half saved for the next time it is pizza night!

Most pizza still is not all that healthy for you, even mine. I would not say to eat this every night as it still has a lot of sodium in it, but it sure was handy! My family has their own real pizzas with their meats and such, at the same time I have my special one. I no longer feel deprived when joining them! Perhaps someday I will be more comfortable with one slice, but for now, this is an option that works for me!

I had loaded the most recent pizza I had with slices of portabella mushrooms, onions, and the like and even added a quarter cup of no-fat Kraft mozzarella cheese! For half a pizza it was 475 calories and had 18 grams of fat. Yummy!

One of the secrets to finding a healthy base pizza to start with, is thin crusts. I see there is a Newman Thin Crust Margherita pizza out there now too. I have not seen it in my stores yet, but will definitely check it out when I do.

I am very motivated to keep on track this summer while my exercise time is constrained by having a young child home from school. I have accomplished a lot over the past seven months. I have:

Gone from 291 lbs. to 236.8 lbs. (down 54 lbs.)
Chest 53" to 43" (10" difference)
Waist 50" to43" (7" difference)
Hips 54" to 47" (7" difference)
Thigh 29" to 26" (3" difference)

I don't want to gain a pound or an inch back! I am working on the second half of my weight loss journey and this will be harder than the first half. But I do NOT want to backslide! This has been too much fun; fitting into new clothes, having more confidence, and helping encourage others has been a blast!

I also found an outdoor pool, that had a reasonable rate for both my son and I, to use this summer. I can use it four days a week and it is also good to pry my son away from the computer a bit. I can go to the gym on the weekends and on Wednesdays my son will go to see the children's programs at our local library while I sneak in 45 minutes of circuit training at the gym too. I got it covered!

PHEW! I wrote a lot. This entry was hard for me to do for some reason. I just couldn't get started and it isn't as witty as I would like. Maybe next weekend will see more wit and pictures!

Enjoy your week and be kind to yourself!

She's Gone Batty

2011-06-04T16:13:00.005-05:00

Why DO they call those underarm flaps, bat-wings??? I think that is rather insulting to bats, don't you?
Have you seen any of these shows:
"Heavy"
"The Biggest Loser"
"Extreme Weight Loss"
I've seen all three of these shows since I started working on my lifestyle changes. I have been very disappointed. I really wish they would share more helpful ideas, along with the sensational weight losses and contests. I guess that doesn't make for good television ratings though. Here are my notes on all three:

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Didn't they have more of the 'how-to do tips' during the first few seasons? These days, I watch The Biggest Loser to get a tidbit of motivation here and there. What comes to mind from this most recent season was the talk Jillian had where she parroted back to Hanna (or Olivia?) what they used to say to themselves about not being deserving or good enough, etc. I also loved the challenge where they had to carry the weight they lost. I am sure there were other bits I took away from the shows, but overall, I don't like the unrealistic approach of losing so much weight so fast and having to commit to hours and hours in the gym to stay thin.

HEAVY: I liked the earlier episodes better than the later ones. I got more out of this show than the other two. I feel like it was more personalized and was addressing not only the exercise, but the foods, and the mental work to become thinner and healthier. I also think the weight losses were more realistic. Of course I wish I had the money to go to those resorts! Wow!!! Again, I felt the earlier episodes were better than the last ones were, when they changed to the second health resort.

EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS: Big disappointment. I didn't mind the weight loss goal setting. Some people I know have said they had issues with that. They thought the girl was being asked to lose too much, too fast to win a prize.

All I kept hearing in my head were ALL the bribes my father tried giving me in order to get me to lose weight as a young girl! (they didn't work then either) Then the girl on the first episode made the comment that she was working out 4-5 hours a day!?! You couldn't do that if you were on your own and had to hold down a job could you? Maybe it would work if you had oodles of money so that you didn't have to worry about living expenses.

I was dumb-founded at the part about her getting surgery for excess skin removal before she was done losing the weight. The only reason I heard for this was that they said it was because she was chafing. I just think it was too soon for her to have that done. Pass her some Gold Bond powder for crying out loud!

IF I were to lose that much weight, I would hide my flappy little arms until I proved I could keep it off for a while, before spending the money to have it surgically removed. She was in her early 20's for crying out loud! HER skin will shrink back. I will watch a few more episodes to see if they get any better.

COMMENT: Just as an aside...In my 20's (1981) I had gastric bypass surgery and lost almost 200 pounds in one year. Skin does eventually shrink. Now, in my mid-50's I am losing the weight that came back on when I got pregnant, a year after that surgery. I had three (wonderful) kids in five years and gained about half the weight back. I was stuck at 270-280 for 20-some years. As of today I have lost a little over 50 pounds since November and can almost fly like a glider squirrel because of the skin flaps under my arms!
My old skin won't shrink as much as a younger woman's would and I plan to just deal with it....unless maybe...if I win the lottery...then I might consider some tucking here and there! lol

24 Steps

2011-05-28T13:21:00.003-05:00

That is how many steps it is from the first floor to the second floor at the center I go to. There is a landing in the middle, so you can rest on your way up. There is also an elevator you can use.

When I first started this journey, not only could I NOT go up those stairs, I could not go DOWN those stairs! My knees and balance were so out of whack that I had to have a death grip on the railing to hold me up on the way down.

Within a couple weeks though, I could go down those steps. Within a couple months, I could go up them. I would pull myself partially up by using the railing but I was taking the stairs.

Now, I can go up those 24 steps, right up the middle, no extra help needed! I still hold the railing going down the stairs, just because I don't want to have a misstep and fall! I think that is kinda neat to have accomplished this!

Another thing I have noticed is that I have little bump muscles in my arms now. They are not a body builder's muscles, but they ARE muscles!

Sometimes, when I walk down the hall in our house and turn the corner I catch a glimpse of myself in the full length mirror there. "Who IS that woman?" It can't be me because that woman is thinner than I am. I smile and walk on. What a nice reward to give myself permission to like that reflection in the mirror again.

Do something kind for yourself today. Whatever your triumph, big or small, give your self a pat on the back or an atta-girl or atta-boy! Don't give up. We're getting there, one step at a time.

Fluffy is Okay

2011-05-26T13:48:00.002-05:00

There is a comedian that is quite heavy and his famous saying is "I'm not fat, I am fluffy!" I am not a huge fan of the comedian, but I sure like saying fluffy instead of fat!

Obese should be a four letter word too. I hate the negativity in the terms associated with being overweight. Don't most people who are fat, (excuse me, I meant to say fluffy) already beat themselves up over their weight issues? Is it because we are so sensitive to our weight that when we hear the words we take them to heart too much?

Fat, obese, overweight, plump, chubby, stout, portly, tubby, flabby, pudgy, piggy, heavy, chunky, hefty, XXX size, plus size, queen size, big girls, and more...all words, just words! But they can really affect us, can't they?

We give too much power to others and to words others may use. We should NOT be using words like this in our own brains either. We don't need to beat ourselves up any more than we already do!

These are the facts: I am over 50 and I am fluffy. I choose to say fluffy because I don't need to beat myself up over this weight stuff!!! The word fluffy makes me smile. Life should be more about smiles.

Are you fluffy too?

And I didn't Give Up!

2011-05-23T16:16:00.003-05:00

The dark mood has lifted and I am doing okay today. I still am going to explore ways to stave off these feelings, as I am sure they will come to haunt me again!

I made it to the center to exercise this morning and have a very good, very healthy supper planned. One day at a time...one day at a time.....

Try, try, again...

2011-05-22T15:44:00.004-05:00

I just realized that I now have less than 100 pounds to lose to be in the non-obese range! According to "the charts" out there, I should weigh around 150 pounds, give or take about twenty pounds. You may have noticed I have a 100 pound goal right now. That goal will get me to 191 pounds...41 pounds above 'normal' and only 21 pounds above a healthy weight.

I was down a little over a pound and a half this week. I should be rejoicing. For some reason I am not. This whole week has seen higher calories and fat. I am averaging around 1000 calories a day and 21 grams of fat. The previous weeks have been less than these numbers.

I took one of those silly quizzes that says I am food obsessive. I am afraid to not be this way. I will be trying to find answers on how to deal with this, this week. I recognize the old tapes trying to start running that lead to quitting. It IS a good thing that I gave away my big clothes. I can't afford to get fatter again!!!

Being Chicken

2011-05-20T13:45:00.004-05:00

Yummy! This was lunch today. Starting with the base...the salad plate I use is a fun design that makes you smile right from the start! (I think having fun dinnerware is a great thing!) I then added more color by tossing in a couple handfuls of mixed greens. On top of it all is a mixture of diced chicken, sliced black olives, grape tomatoes-cut in half, chopped green peppers, chopped sweet Vidalia onions, and a little Miracle Whip Lite dressing. (It is amazing how far a tablespoon of dressing goes!) I also added a little seasoned salt and dried celery flakes. mmm mmm mmm!

My salad dishes are almost as large as a dinner plate. They have a bowl shape and hold a LOT of food! I love having this huge meal with no guilt. It has about 225 calories and six grams of fat. It is also very filling!

I am still learning about foods. It is a never ending education for me. This is the part of this lifestyle change that I detest most. Well, at least today I detest it most-est!

Something else that bugs me, is that once I start eating, I want to keep eating, even when full. It is like a feeding frenzy!!! What am I? Part shark?Sometimes I am afraid to try to eat breakfasts because I will use up calories and then overeat by the end of the day! I hate, HATE, HATE, having to think about food ALL the time! Will I have to write down everything I eat, all the time, for the rest of my life? I ain't gonna. No-sir-ree-Bob! I do not have the alternative answer to this yet, but it will be a cold day in H-E-double toothpicks before I will write down everything I eat for all the rest of my life! But this is a maintenance thing that will be addressed when I arrive at the end of the weight loss part of my program. As I have already told you, I invent things to worry about and today was the day to worry about something that doesn't really need to be worried about for a long time yet.

The thought I want to leave you with today is why I am writing this blog and sharing it with total strangers, as well as a number of people who know who I am in person. Yes, it IS a self-serving thing to do. By sharing my thoughts, fears, feelings, worries, successes, ups, downs, and the rest, I truly hope to help out someone else on this journey. By sharing all this, I also keep motivating myself more. So I AM being selfish by sharing my journey, but I really do hope I can help too. Fair trade? I think so. I don't want to hide my journey this time. I don't want to be a chicken anymore! Come on! Be brave with me and let's go cook a chicken for supper tonight. No frying though!

Wednesday Thoughts

2011-05-18T08:39:00.002-05:00

When I went to bed last night, I was saying to myself that I was tired of swimming and that the weather is so extra nice this week, that I was going to walk today. So, I did!

I walked for about 40 minutes and went almost a mile and a half:

I took a new route for variety. I will go for a shorter walk this afternoon and then back to the pool tomorrow. I haven't watched all of "The Biggest Loser" from last night yet. I did see the part where they had to carry the weight they had lost. That really strikes me. I know I mentioned the 40 pound bag of dog food I carried into the house a couple weeks ago. I don't know how I carried that weight on my body. No wonder my knees and back feel so much stronger!

Pasta tonight. I take mine without meat and with portabella 'shrooms. I like 'shrooms. I hope you are having a great week! Go for a walk!

Motivation, or Lack-There-Of

2011-05-15T07:42:00.010-05:00

For most of this week I have been in a funk, regarding my program. (I hate calling it a 'program' because this is a lifestyle change, not a program!!!) Whatever you call it, I have been in a dark, worrisome frame of mind when thinking about how this is all going to work out. In fact, if I had a suck-o-meter, it would almost be in the red zone.

I am a chronic worrier. According to my husband, I make up 'chit' to worry about! I also suffer bouts of depression, which I think is a normal thing for most humans. My brain will often fill up with such thoughts as:

"How long can I keep this up?"
"Will I keep doing this 'program' for the rest of my life?"
"Will I keep losing weight without changing the way I am eating and exercising right now?"
"Will I start gaining weight without changing the way I am eating and exercising right now?"
"How will I EVER stay motivated to do this for the rest of my life?"
"CAN I do this for the rest of my life?"
"Is it ok to eat a bag of rice cakes after 8pm?"

On and on, I can make myself dizzy with worry. To what end? I mean, come on! It will either keep working, or it won't. I AM down over 40 pounds and that is GOOD! If it stops working, I can change things around at THAT time. I don't need to waste so much energy on worrying about the "what-ifs" right now!!!

Why do we beat ourselves up over this stuff? I am so tired of living with a weight problem. It takes up so much time in my life. I obsess over it and then worry about obsessing! If I don't pay attention to it, though, won't I just get fatter again? (What do skinny people obsess about?)

I have a love/hate relationship with the "The Biggest Loser" show on TV. I don't buy into losing 100+ pounds in just a few months. I know I will not workout/exercise for hours and hours a day, for the rest of my life. Their program just seems unrealistic to me. I do watch it though. I watch a lot of shows that talk about weight issues. I also read books about diet, exercise, and motivation. From each, I take nuggets of information. I might find some inspiration or just a simple tip to help me with my quest.

Anyway, this season of "The Biggest Loser" is coming to an end. Last week's episode had the contestants being 'tested' by the trainers. One of the tests had Jillian doing some role playing with the contestants. It really struck a chord with me. Jillian was mimicking all the negative comments the contestants had made to her over past weeks. Some of those comments could have been made by me!

I feel like crap.
No matter what I do, it isn't good enough.
I am always second best.
I am selfish for putting SO much time and effort into this.
I've lost weight...so what?

The contestants then had to come back with a positive response. They recognized that their past negativity was a form of self-victimization. If you play the victim in all this, it is easy to give up because it is not YOUR fault! It is the fault of your genes. It is the fault of your parents. It is the fault of food companies. It is the fault of your income situation because you don't have enough money to buy yourself a trainer, a gym membership, diet foods, therapy sessions, liposuction, gastric bypass surgery, or whatever you think you cannot have, to make this work!

I've said in a previous post that I knew I would have to do the homework to make things work this time. I hate it! I don't WANT to think about what I am eating every time I put something in my mouth. I don't WANT to think about having to fit in an hour of exercise every day. Until I have that hour done with, I obsess about getting it done. "If I don't get that exercise done now, I might not get it done later!"

Is this what I will become? Forever obsessive about this eating and exercising? How DO skinny folks do it? How DO people who've lost weight and kept it off forever, do it? Are there such people out there, for real? How MANY times do they lose and gain before they conquer fat? I have quit smoking. I have done it several times. I have gone 10 years or more between quitting and starting and quitting again. Is that what I have to look forward to with the weight issues?

Why do we find it SO hard to give ourselves credit for what we HAVE done? In my case, I AM exercising, eating better, and still trying to resolve issues that might have stopped me from success in the past. (whatever that measurement of success ends up to be when I get there) Sometimes we HAVE to be selfish in order to make this work. To take care of ourselves enables us to take care of others. This especially resonates in women who generally are the caretakers of the family. We give and give and give and forget to give to ourselves too!

If you lose motivation, recall WHY you started this all in the first place. ("this all" can be anything you are trying to accomplish) If you lose motivation, write down all the positives you can about what you HAVE done. (easier said than done, but do it!) If you lose motivation, get therapy! ????WHAT!!!!??? Yes, I said therapy. Can't afford it? Neither can I. However, MY therapy is allowing myself to do something I really love doing. I not only allow it, I enjoy it. I wallow in it. I embrace it. I do my fabric therapy and always feel better!

When was the last time you felt exhilarated or happy about something you've done? (It could be something simple like smelling spring flowers or something more elaborate like a ski trip where you zoomed down the mountain on a snowboard.) Now think how you felt when you did this thing in your life that made you smile. Give yourself permission to feel good about something. Feel those positive endorphins rattling through your body. Wrap your arms around these feelings. Look in a mirror and tell that image about whatever this experience was that made you feel so good.

Now notice: What is your body language doing? Are you animated? Are you smiling? Is your body alert? It is hard to be hunched over and all sad when you are talking about a positive experience or feeling! Take this feeling with you as you go about your business. Remember what you have accomplished already! We have to learn to be our own best friend sometimes. The only thing we get from beating ourselves up is bruised and it don't feel good!

I was 'only' down a bit less than a half pound at Saturday's weigh-in. GASP!!! Doesn't that just bite? But you know what? I am giving myself a gold star for hanging in there and as soon as I send this off to blog-land, I am going to do some gardening and plan to go for a short walk later...even though this is my day off. I give myself permission to take Sunday's off and rarely do I just sit and vegetate in the house. See? A lifestyle change really does make changes in my life!

Inching Along

2011-05-08T11:26:00.007-05:00

I realized that I am about halfway to my goal weight. I have changed my goal weight around a bit and finally settled on a one hundred pound total weight loss. This will be my FIRST goal. If I make it to that goal, I will see about setting a new one. I am still very unsure of my success in the long run.

I lost another two pounds at Saturday's weigh-in. I started my third food and exercise journal last week too. I decided that I need this 'crutch' for now. Why mess with something that is working so well?

Here is the first journal I kept:

Remember when looking at this, that the calories per day have the calories burned during exercise, subtracted from the food calories taken in. I did this the same way in the second journal. In the third journal though, I am writing down the actual calories and tracking the exercise separately.

Since I have something going on tomorrow, I won't make it to the center to exercise. Because of that, I went out for a mile walk today, before the heat set in. Even my son and husband tagged along!

It is also Mother's Day today. The 'guys' are taking me out to dinner. I have not decided just where yet. I feel good about knowing how to make good choices when I do order something at a restaurant now! The confidence in making better choices is definitely improving!

I am reading through some new books that I hope to share with you soon! I hope you all have a pleasant Mother's Day too!

An Even Keel

2011-05-05T13:17:00.006-05:00

I am now researching. I am wading through so many books, web pages, and informational sources, that my head hurts. I knew it would come to this!

If you have dieted for any length of time, or tried dieting many times in the past, you already know there are gazillions of diet books out there. Some of you may have attained a goal weight, only to put it back on, and then some! What is missing?

Let me ask you this: How many books are out there that talk about successful weight maintenance? Dieting is easy, but LIVING the life...where are THOSE guidelines?

My plan, all along, has been to stylize my new life around a way of living that will help me feel better. Part of feeling better is to not be so blasted FAT! My weight is coming off slowly because I am making lifestyle changes that I think I can live with for the rest of my life!

But tell me...where ARE those books that guide you as good as the diet books do? We all know. It is because there is more money to be made in selling the next best diet shortcut than there is in selling the truth about how this all works in the real world and works for the rest of your life! It is all about learning how to keep an even keel on your lifeboat! Anyone for a swim?

Join Me for Lunch?

2011-05-01T12:29:00.002-05:00

Two tidbits for today. First, use fun dinnerware when you eat! The more you pay attention to your plate, the more you are aware of what is moving from that plate to your face!
Second, to slow down your eating, use chopsticks! Never have used them before? No problem! I never had chopsticks until I was 55 years old! I kept at it and have now gotten the hang of it! I can't catch a fly with them, but I usually can keep the food under control from bowl to mouth.

Give new things a try! You might be surprised at what you can do and the changes you can make!

LOSE 40 POUNDS IN ONLY A FEW WEEKS!

2011-04-30T12:56:00.007-05:00

SHERRI SHARES HER MIRACLE DIET PLAN WITH YOU!!!

I HAVE lost forty pounds now. It seems like it only took a few weeks. I am amazed at how many books and programs that are out there that talk about this particular milestone! I had a hard time coming up with a photo to use. I finally settled on this one:

If you've ever lived on a farm or even visited one, you might have seen these mineral blocks out in the pastures with the cattle, sheep, or horses. There are ones made out of salt too. I think some deer hunters set those out, as well as the farmers that have them out for their animals.
I used to live on a farm and have had to tote many of these blocks out to the middle of a pasture. They are HEAVY! And I have lost one of them since November! Please, DO NOT help me find it!!!

DEAR DIARY: LAST SUNDAY: At yesterday's support group (for those of us who are trying to lose weight), our fearless leader, Robert, asked us how we became motivated to begin this process and then asked how we stay motivated. I was surprised that I had not thought of this recently. I struggled to put it into words.

For me the impetus to start was the time I got on the scale a few months back and saw that my weight was only nine pounds away from hitting 300. That question was the easy one for me to answer. I was getting WAY too fat!

Trying to put into words how I stay motivated was harder. That very day this question was asked, was a day that I was struggling to keep myself motivated! I didn't feel like being there. I am still struggling with motivation today, four full days later!

Some things that have kept me motivated are the support I get from my family. They put up with new foods and ways of eating. They also celebrate the pounds lost and console me when the plateaus hit.

I have been able to shop for some new clothes. For many years now, I have been in sweatshirts, tee-shirts, and sweatpants. I am now shopping the thrift stores and getting some really cute and flattering clothes, without the expense of new. I keep changing sizes, so totally new clothing doesn't make much sense right now.

I also shop the thrift stores for books. I have two that I am currently reading that have motivational writing. I have gotten low-fat cookbooks there too. Having resources like the support group, a good array of books, and the internet has really helped. I can now recognize when I am starting to struggle. I am fighting the urges to give up!

I had a three pound loss last week. That is huge for me! You would think that would keep me motivated too! For some reason though, it is not helping.

DEAR DIARY: WEDNESDAY: YOGA I tried yoga today for the first time. It was depressing. I expected to have trouble getting down to the floor and back up again. I thought I MIGHT have knee issues. What I didn't expect were the wrist issues, and the blood flow to the head making me dizzy, and being put to shame by the seniors in there that are really supple! I am the fattest one in a room of 20+ folks.

Since I spent money to get the yoga mat though, I am resolved to go back again next Wednesday. The teacher is a real sweetheart. She says to do what I can do and not to worry that I cannot do what everyone else is doing. I know I am limited. I also know it is working parts of me that are not working in the pool! Though yoga isn't an aerobic exercise, it IS exercise and makes you break out in a sweat!

For some reason, I didn't think my yoga session was good enough for the day. I ended up and walked 1.3 miles in less than 30 minutes. It hurt! I was exhausted! Is that because I did the yoga that morning? Hmmmmmmm, I wonder? I also walked the 15 minute walk to and from my son's school this afternoon. I just measured that on Google Maps and it is .7 of a mile! That means I did a total of two miles! I have impressed myself!!!

DEAR DIARY: THURSDAY: I forgot to mention that at the end of yesterday's yoga session my phone started ringing. Everyone was doing a quiet meditation that is done for several minutes at the end of class. All of a sudden you can hear crickets and frog chirps...my phone ring tone. It had several of the other people in class, laughing. I did NOT admit it was my phone though! As everyone was leaving later, the instructor asked what were folks talking about when they said they heard crickets? I had to admit that it was my phone ringer. She thought it was funny!

This morning I made it out the door and down to the center to work out in the pool. I am a little stiff and sore from the yoga class! I REALLY noticed it in my belly. I feel like I have done a bunch of sit-ups! It was a pleasant surprise to realize that the yoga DID do some good. I WILL try it again, next week!

I stayed in the pool for an hour and forty-five minutes today. I really tried to make use of the water resistance and to work hard in the pool. This afternoon I will get my son from school. That will add a half mile walk to the mix. No wonder I am still kinda losing weight!

One last thing today. I bought a 40lb. bag of dog food for our dogs. I could barely lift it into the car and then from the car to the house when I got home. It dawned on me that this is how much I have lost already!!!

DEAR DIARY: SATURDAY: So, what IS my secret? How did I lose over 40 pounds? I will now share my secret diet no fail plan with you! It was the D&E Plan! The D&E Plan is a simple one. Anybody can do it! All you have to do is be aware of what you eat and how you eat. You also have to move around, like when exercising. I bet you can do it too! Try the D(diet) & E(exercise) plan along with me and just see the amazing results you will have too!!!

Becoming a Guru?

2011-04-19T20:22:00.017-05:00

I am trying something new this week. I like to post on the weekends. I have often had thoughts about things during the week though, that I would like to share. This week, I have taken notes and hope to make this posting more .... more.... um....more better? I think I will go with that. This posting should be "more better."

Tuesday, April 19th: We are about to get hit with yet another storm. It is a wild spring here in central Arkansas! It should be gone by morning though. I plan to walk tomorrow morning. I have been going to the center to swim and then running errands after. Trouble is, I have been doing too many errands after working out! I stay out for hours and get so tired that I can hardly function for the rest of the day!

I worry about the upcoming summer. Will I stay on track? Will I keep walking and going to the pool? Can I keep motivated to keep the eating under control? At least I am pre-planning it all. I also keep telling myself to stop 'fressing' over all these details!!! I have two more months before it becomes an issue! I also have already thought of several different answers to problems that have not happened yet. I will not use this worry business as an excuse to stop doing what I am doing!

Jamie Oliver is on TV again. This time he is in LA, trying to re-vamp the school food system there. He also has been trying to convince a fast food restaurateur to change his menu to have better quality foods. Jamie shows the owner his version of a hamburger that is healthier and doesn't cost more to buy. The burger was 430 calories. I know regular burgers at fast food places are higher in calories and fat, sometimes in the thousands of calories, but 430 does not sound like it is that much healthier. I guess he used hamburger that was 10% fat. So yes, it is considered healthier, but still, would you go to a fast food place, thinking you could get a beef hamburger that was healthy for you?

I like Subway and Taco Bell myself. They not only have a good selection of healthier meals, they make it EASY to figure out what the better choices are on their in-store menus! I was starving while shopping at WallyWorld the other day. This one has a McDonald's in it. I eyed the menu from the checkout line, thinking they MUST have something healthy on their menu that I could eat? I am sure they do, but it is not easy to find. I passed up their food and made it home to my 'safer' choices.

April 20th, Wednesday:
I thought I should change up my exercise and walk again. It was a very nice day to walk. I did 2.4 miles in less than an hour. That is almost two and a half miles!!! Did I REALLY do this???

A few days later I challenged myself to walk in the heat. It was 80° outside. I melted, but I did it!

Saturday: April 23rd
I lost three pounds! I am officially over the 40 pound loss mark now. I have 75.8 pounds to goal weight. I wonder if I will ever make it?

I came across these in the store next to the rice snack cakes the other day:

They are SO good! When I get the urge to have a chip, at least I can reach for something like this. Even if I ate the whole bag, it wouldn't be nearly as bad as just a single serving of 'normal' chips.

Next week I plan to try Yoga for the first time ever. I am not the Yoga type. Am I becoming a Guru for others now? Will there be followers of this blog? I don't know if that would be a good thing or not!
If you've read this far you must not have better things you could be doing! Did you wonder about that first photo at the beginning of this posting? That was me, back in California. I weighed about 280 in that photo. I was going to try to lose weight then too. That was seven years ago! (it didn't work)
I have spent SO much time trying to lose weight. Why is this time different? Will I be able to keep doing it? Let's find out! See you next week!

(NOTE: This was published yesterday but the date shows the first day I started adding information to it. I will edit my postings in a different way next week, so as to reflect the actual DAY I posted, not the day I started posting)

Chewing the Fat

2011-04-17T15:55:00.004-05:00

I stumbled across a book at the second hand store the other day, that I am actually enjoying! It is "From Fat to Fit" by Carole Carson. It turns out she has a whole website of stuff for those of us trying to gain control of our lives and to live better. So far I like her style. She is close to my age and I like reading about someone I can identify with.

I know it is somewhat unfair of me to say, but her website is somewhat of a turnoff for me. There are SO many other websites out there that a person can look at! I get tired of the commercialism of it all. I don't know if Ms Carson's website is one that is a money raking deal or one there to really try to help out folks, or both. Eventually I hope to explore her website more and I will let you know if it is 'one of the good ones' or not! It does appear to have a lot of possibilities though!

I am half way through her book. This covers the first 16 weeks that she tackled her weight and fitness issues. Although she lost the weight rather fast for my taste, she DID share a lot of the ups and downs she had had. I can relate to that. She is a tennis nut and really enjoys that sport. I cannot relate to tennis, at all!

I am at the part of her book where she talks about maintaining her weight and fitness level. One thing I got out of this part, so far, is that we are all only an injury away from disaster! It takes a long time to recover, especially at our older ages. However, if we remain as fit as we can, we WILL recover faster and better than we would if we were couch potatoes.

In other news, I had lost almost two pounds between last Saturday to Thursday and then gained back part of it by Saturday. I know, it really doesn't pay to get on that scale too often, but I just can't resist! I ended up and officially lost .2lbs. Whoop-dee-d0. hahahaha Hey, at least it IS a loss!

I am almost at the end of my second ten weeks. If I reach my goal, I will be a hair's breath away from the 240's. I have two weeks left and less than three pounds to go to hit that goal.
Next week starts a whole new chapter as The Mister starts a new job. This means a scheduling change for when I can go to the gym and pool. I should be able to go more often! I will keep you posted.

Bye for now, gentle readers! See you next week.

Back at it!

2011-04-10T10:23:00.003-05:00

I usually do not exercise on Sundays, taking the proverbial 'day of rest' and all. Since I didn't have a weight change this week and have been feeling like a slacker, I thought I would make today an exception. I ended up and went for a walk this morning, before the temps went up. I did 1.3 miles in 25 minutes:

I ran for 275 feet! That is what this submarine is in length...well at least close to it!

I even tired out Ziva and she's young!!!

I feel much better for having done this. I hope my slump is over for a few days now. We shall see!

Problems this past week:
1. Feeling tired and lethargic, possibly due to higher outdoor temperatures
2. Finding out that I did a MAJOR miscalculation on the calories and fat grams in my favorite fake cheese. I could have had real slices of pizza for what my healthy pizza ended up being. I had 30 grams of fat when I thought I had 9. THAT is a HUGE mistake!!!
3. Feeling my exercising isn't vigorous enough or long enough. I don't want to do more than an hour a day!!! (whine whine whine)

Today I get back on track. I will have half the size steak I normally eat and will have a bigger salad than I normally have. I might do without the potato or fries too. I already feel better, just for having gone out and walked already today!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Sluffing Off

2011-04-08T08:50:00.003-05:00

I know it is spelled sloughing, not sluffing, but I like spelling things wrong, on purpose...especially when I am trying a play on words for my blog titles!

I have been sloughing off on my 'program' to self improve. Although I am still losing weight, I am also not working quite as hard as I was a few weeks ago.

Yesterday I did my normal 75 minute workout in the pool. I know a problem many have is that they go in the pool and chat instead of work out. I DO try to keep moving hard when chatting, but I know I am not really doing a hard workout.

For some reason, I have been tired lately. I wonder if the mini rice cakes at night are really NOT that good for me to snack on?
Although they are low in calories and fat, I am often allowing enough calories to eat the whole bag! That is 330 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. They taste too good to be good for me, especially after 8pm. Once the last of these bags is gone, I think I will not buy them for a while.

Because I have been a bit tired and not real motivated, I popped in to check my weight yesterday, after my pool workout. I had gained a pound. It didn't surprise me. I am not counting it though, because Saturdays are my weigh-in days. We will see what happens tomorrow on the scale!

With all the lack luster feelings I decided to try to do something extra special today. I made myself walk. I managed to get 2.2 miles in 50 minutes. I will walk to get the child from school this afternoon and that will bring me to just over an hour of walking for the day.

It was only 68° out this morning, but the humidity was high. I broke out in a pretty good sweat! I am glad I did it though. Yeah ME!
Off to shower now. I have a lot on my mind this morning, as my son is now a full fledged Marine! I can't wait to hear from him! Semper Fi!!!

Arrrrrrrrrr!!!!

2011-04-04T12:25:00.001-05:00

This little guy is either showing his teeth cuz he just got back from the dentist, like I just did, OR he is shouting out that more weight has dropped off! Either way, he was cute and pink and belonged on my blog today!

Sunday Morning Walk

2011-03-20T11:56:00.002-05:00

I've been struggling again. Last week I gained .4 pounds. It really isn't much, but it sure isn't the way I want to go! I hope this is more of another plateau rather than I have to ramp up my exercising even more! Of course there is so much other 'stuff' going on in our lives, that I am still amazed I haven't given up totally!

I did walk for two miles this morning. It is supposed to get up into the 80's today! It took me 45 minutes to walk this far and if I calculated it right, I was walking at a good clip of 2.6mph. I broke a good sweat and was huffin' and puffin' so I am sure it did some good!

I know Ziva was tired out and is sleeping already! It's a dog's life! hahahaha

I Can See for Miles ....

2011-03-11T08:58:00.003-06:00

It has been a while since I have done a long morning walk. I need to change things up a bit or my weight loss will grind to a halt! I am already thinking I have hit a plateau again. I won't know until tomorrow though. Of course, Ziva was right by my side the whole time.
Wow, TWO miles? ME??? Wow....

Peeking Dinner

2011-02-24T18:14:00.003-06:00

This was tonight's supper. There are green beans, a dollop of mashed potatoes, a cooked carrot, a slice of roast beef, and a salad with tomatoes and fat free dressing. In the past, the salad would not be there, nor the beans. The beef would have been two or three slices. There would be three times the potato with butter and maybe sour cream on it. The carrots would have been candied in brown sugar and butter. There would also be bread. Tonight there isn't even butter on any of this! I used Butter Buds and a little bit of bacon bits to jazz up the taste. I do not feel deprived.

I DO feel lighter though. I peeked, a few days early, and have lost four pounds since last Saturday! I was shocked. I wonder if it will still be off when my official weigh-in happens this coming Saturday! For now though, I shall enjoy 264.

Celebrate!

2011-02-12T13:10:00.004-06:00

Even with all the snow and wet and cold, keeping us home and indoors...even with some crappy news that would have (in the past) been used as an excuse to quit...even with life tossing out a few curve balls at me...even with a few weeks of no weight loss and a pound gain at one point...today, when I weighed in, I found I had lost weight! I am beyond shocked! I broke the 270 mark and was 268.4 today! This means a little over 22 pounds total, GONE. I SO needed this good news. It gives me the resolve to get back on the wagon and tighten up the ship a bit here! Yeah ME! :)

Snow Walkin'

2011-02-09T12:56:00.003-06:00

If you are from Minnesota, like I used to be, a few inches of snow isn't much to get in a dither about. If you are from Arkansas, where I live now, it shuts the state down! Since I have been in a bit of a slump, I was determined to at least do my minimum 30 minutes of exercise. I spent twenty minutes, walking in the snow with Ziva. She didn't mind a bit!
The snow started around eight this morning. By noon we had about five inches of the stuff! I don't think there will be school tomorrow!
I plan to do ten or more minutes of exercise, inside the house, later today. I already feel better, just meeting my commitment!

I'm Glad THAT's Over!

2011-02-05T18:18:00.003-06:00

We've had snow and cold here. The snow changed, on and off, to ice pellets. We had a house full of people that normally would not be here. I did not exercise yesterday. Not one little bit! Shame on me.
Today was weigh-in day. I made it to the gym, late, but still was able to weigh in. The scale moved down! Yippee!!! I needed a boost. I went for an hour in the pool and now feel very refreshed and ready to get back on track.
So far, in nine weeks, I have lost 20 pounds.
I hope to really work hard this week and finally get that second number in my weight to move from a seven to a six! Stay tuned to see if I can do it!

Now Ain't That a Kick in the Pants!!!

2011-01-27T14:02:00.005-06:00

I am really working my program and expected to see a bit of a weight loss at today's weigh-in. I also weigh in on Tuesdays and according to THAT scale, I had lost six pounds!!! Imagine my surprise when today's scale read a puny half pound loss!!!
To put a positive spin on this all, at least I didn't gain two pounds like the home scale read!!! By the way, those half pounders, in the photo above, are 17-25 grams of fat, each. That is the number of fat grams I shoot to stay UNDER for the whole DAY!!!

My sweet husband said it was just a plateau and that I had probably made a lot of muscle that weighs more than fat. He is so supportive!

Truly, though, I am quite PO'd about the lack of a bigger number, and very disappointed that I didn't get under 270 yet. However, I am NOT about to throw in the towel! Not this time! No way, no how!!!

Ok, I am off to get the child from school. I worked hard in the pool for 90 minutes this morning and will walk the longer way around to my son's school for an additional 20-30 minutes of exercising. Add the grocery shopping I did, and I easily exercised for over two hours today.

YEAH ME!

Long Road Home

2011-01-21T08:33:00.002-06:00

It is a brisk morning here with the temp in the teens! Very cold for the south. I walked my son to school this morning and then headed out on my normal route, with one exception. That 'thumb' in the upper right is a new addition. I used to just continue on 57th Pl to Walnut Rd. Adding this loop to my walk gave me a total of 1.9 miles!
This afternoon, when I walk to pick up the child from school, I will be over two miles for the day! If you had told me I would be walking over a mile by this time, I would never have believed you. I had all I could do to go to my son's school and back. That is point A to point B.
I sure hope I can keep this up!

Made it this far!

2011-01-20T19:04:00.004-06:00

Just a quick drive-by weigh-in! I lost four pounds since I last weighed in. I am now down to 272! Soon I will have to ramp up my exercising. I am doing about 60 minutes a day right now. Most of the time is in the swimming pool. I am almost ready to branch out to a few of the exercise machines! Food/calories are going well. I love Greek yogurt!

That is it for today. Thanks for watching!

Not so bad!

2011-01-06T15:10:00.003-06:00

I was down 3.8 pounds from last week. I am saying this equals a total of 10 pounds lost, since starting this in November. I am on week four with my weight support group at the center.
I struggle with worry though. I worry I won't keep this up and that I will fail again, as I have so many other times!

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"

And So It Begins, Again, Again

2011-01-05T13:30:00.003-06:00

That word, 'again' is quite appropriate. Separated, it reads: A Gain. A weight Gain. I have been overweight most all my life. My first diet was when I was about 11 and in the fifth grade. As most fatties, I have tried every program, fad diet, and gimmick throughout my life. It has been 45 years since that first diet. I have been lots heavier than I am now, but had stomach stapling done in 1981. I went from this (375):

To this, one year later (195):

I then got pregnant three times in five years and had three wonderful children. I never lost my pregnancy pounds though. After all the ups and downs, with that surgery, I did manage to take off about 100 pounds and keep it off. Trouble is, I still am about 100 pounds too heavy.
In 1998 I lost about 80 pounds by only eating once a day. That was actually working for me until I got pregnant with my forth child. Back up I went.
In 2008 I lost about 40 pounds because I was working a job that kept me on my feet a lot. When I quit that job in 2009, the weight came right back on.
I have been about 275 to 285 for the past 25 years, with the exception of those two short term weight losses. Just before Thanksgiving in 2010, I stepped on the scale and got a scare. It was 291. I was only nine pounds from THREE HUNDRED POUNDS!!!
So I joined a local senior center that has wonderful classes. The best has been the aerobic swim classes and the lap pool. (My knees are giving out after years of abuse.) Although I would love to walk the dog for exercise, I can't; not without a lot of pain.

Thursdays are my weight loss support meetings at the center. I had lost and then gained two pounds over Christmas. Let's see what happens tomorrow!

As of this posting today, I did 45 minutes of aerobic water exercising and stretching. I am on track with the better eating plan, and I will walk to get my son from school this afternoon.

See you tomorrow, after my weigh in!

Walk On, Walker Lady