Donut Rolling

I DID make it to my first martial arts class ... and survived.... and didn't hurt myself or others around me! I have about seven more free classes to go. I needed to do something to motivate me to get back on track with my exercising. I get bored so easily!

My goal is to try the martial arts, for the free one month trial. Then spend the money for a membership there, or at a local gym. Somehow I am going to find the money for a trainer for at least a few sessions if I go back to the gym. I wish I could afford one all the time! Things never did work out with the trainer I was trying to meet up with a few weeks back and I have given up on him. :(

I hope to get a photo of me in my martial arts uniform. If I do, you'd better not laugh at me. I felt SO out of my element Tuesday! My first class included four boys...teens or tweens maybe, one 20-ish year old girl, and the two instructors, one male and one female. I got lots of special treatment...I am sure it wasn't because I have the coordination of a donut. Actually, at least a donut can roll...I haven't had to do that yet, but I saw some of the more advanced students do that.

I struggled with going back to the second class on Thursday, but I did. I am glad I did too. I was awarded my first belt! Yes, it is the white one, but it is MY first! They also did a little ceremony to present it to me. I like feeling so special!

I feel very uncoordinated, clumsy, and way out of my comfort zone in class. It is strange saying "SIR" and bowing. I find I am strangely loving it! I don't know if I will keep up with it beyond the free 30 day pass. I DO like a challenge though and the thought of perhaps getting at least one colored belt someday is appealing.

I will keep you posted!

HI-YA!!!-

I am apprehensive, but on Tuesday, the day after my 13th wedding anniversary, I am going to a martial arts class!

I need a kick in the behinder to get my exercising back on track. I'll keep you posted on who's butt I kick. Oh and I am staying the same weight...but I discovered what I have suspected for a while, my measurements have changed. I guess exercise is good for waist loss as well as weight loss!

I was reading a blog called "Truth2BeingFit" where she was talking about thigh gap. Really? People worry about such things??? Apparently so. I was happy to show off my muffin top today in an Easter pink tee-shirt. I am sure others see a pudgy old woman. Since I know better, I don't care!

I was good about staying out of the candy on Easter Sunday. In fact, my 12 yr old has also stayed out of it...mostly because he can't find where I hid it.

That's it for today! Hope you have had a nice weekend too. Walk On!!!

The Best Ideas of....OOOOO SHINY!!!

How come I have all these GREAT ideas for postings throughout the day, and when I get time to sit and write, I have forgotten them? I have tried writing down notes to remind me, but then I lose the notes. I have a hand-held recording device, but I left it somewhere, where I can't find it. (we won't mention that I don't know how to work it very well yet) I wish I could blame this on old-age-brain, but I've been this way most of my life....at least I think I have...I forget now....what was I saying? ....

This past Saturday I went to an event. My favorite yoga studio had sent out a notice that they were having a "Healthy Life, Wellness, and You, Workshop" I thought it might be fun to go to! Imagine, local folks talking about something I have a passion for...living healthier! In the notice, there were pictures of some of the current hot-topic-books like "Wheat Belly". I really thought this was all going to be very informative!

Imagine my dismay when it turned out to be an infomercial. Protein powder, healthy candy substitutes, power powders to enhance your drinking water, and more, were offered up for sale. OR you can make thousands of dollars selling this junk stuff, by becoming a distributor. I knew this company was going to be there, but I stupidly did not realize it was going to be the whole program. The quote that I liked the best was when they said "Pork is, of course, really bad for you because pigs don't sweat so they are full of toxins."

I was NOT amused.

They also said many other things that I could rail on about, but what's the point why bother? It was just another example of the fluffy getting exploited...as well as other naive folks who thought they were going to find information on healthier living. Anyone want to detoxify your body in 30 days? You know your liver and kidneys can't do it without help. Just think of all those toxins in your liver? How on earth are you still alive??? (I hope you can tell I don't buy into any of this crap, garbage, propaganda, detox theory stuff.)

So it was a waste of time. I sure wish I could gather a group of such folks and edumacate them. My ideals are not that far out there. I really think I could help folks. Now if only I could convince myself of that! Just because I am struggling right now, I feel I lack validity in telling or even suggesting to others, how to lose weight and live better. But I DID lose that 100 pounds and I have kept it off for a year now. That counts for something...I know it should anyway.......hmmmm

My other yoga class has been a bummer lately too. A lady is trying to get her certification and is substitute teaching our yoga class. This gives our regular yoga person a much needed and well deserved break. (These are both volunteers) I give the sub credit for wanting to become certified. It is a lot of work and I am sure she knows her stuff. I just don't like her yoga routines. I've had a number of different yoga teachers over this past year. This is the first one that I don't mesh with. That isn't too bad though! AND it really makes me appreciate my other teachers even more. I need to be sure to tell them that, the next time I see them.

Carboys.... wait, what? .... I was writing a note to myself about something on Crabby's blog and I wrote Carboys....Most of those letters are in her moniker, right? She has been kind enough to stop by my blog on a fairly regular basis. I had to bribe her to do it, but I am glad she does visit. The link to her blog is over on the left. She has a GREAT blog. Read it!

Ok dear readers, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Don't eat too many jelly beans but do slow down and enjoy the ones you do have! (I like the black and purple ones bestest)

Walk On!

Those blasted food manufacturers again!

I read the other day that most stores have stopped carrying full fat Fage yogurt.

Why would you want full fat yogurt? Mostly I like to use it as my ice cream. It tastes good with chocolate syrup on it! Or butterscotch even. I might try freezing if I can find it somewhere else again. Also I have found that the full fat (and sometimes the 2%) is more satisfying. The fat fills you up and sticks with you longer.

The zero fat leaves me craving for more!
I still like the zero fat for sour cream replacement though, it is tangy.

Also, did you notice that the zero fat Fage is an ounce LESS than the 2% Fage but sells for the same price? That makes the 2% a better deal, money wise.

I had to laugh when I heard about the Kraft Mac n Cheese news this week.

Well, I guess it is NOT funny that the US version can have those nasty yellow dyes in them. But when the ladies behind the movement to get those colors out of the US version, were on Dr. Oz this past week, Dr. Oz did a comparison. He thought the UK version actually looked a little yellower and tastier. When he did a taste comparison he said, "This (the UK version) tastes like I remember it as a kid!"
Is Dr. Oz that young? My mac n cheese in my childhood was made from elbow macaroni and melted Velveeta. I don't know why, but this just struck me as funny. By the way, I am not a huge fan of Dr. Oz...in case you couldn't tell.

Finally today, I came across this:

If I could find a source for raw milk I would buy it in a heartbeat! I don't know why I don't trust the FDA. I am sure they are not influenced by food manufacturers. (insert sarcasm here)

I am hanging in here. I have still not been able to meet up with my trainer and am thinking how to work around that. He is now sick. I feel sorry for him but am glad I have not plunked down the $75 to see him yet. If I come up with a replacement idea, I am going to skip seeing him. I know I CAN do a routine on my own. I just need to come up with one!

I am smoking again...sorta. There, I have admitted it. I would say I am at about two per day. I am fighting it. I make no promises other than if I DO go full fledged with these damn things, I will quit again too. Sorry to have let you down on that.

The weight is not budging. Big F-in' surprise there. I am not moving as much as I used to. I AM eating pretty clean though. Trouble is, some of the clean eating involved sunflower seeds and pistachios. I hope you hang in with me here though. Just because I am struggling, doesn't mean I can't be helpful, now does it? I hope not!!!

That is is for today. Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I plan to. Walk on!!!

Syrup isn't Sugar and Sugar isn't Syrup?

If corn syrup solids are listed as the first ingredient, why are sugars listed as ZERO grams? Did you know this? I am still researching this but I think I have figured out that corn syrup solids are not considered sugar because it is a syrup. It is listed as a carb but not a sugar. I am not amused. My coffee creamer's first ingredient is "corn syrup solids". I think I am going to go back to half and half in my coffee. It is a LOT more natural! So watch those grams of carbs in your ingredients, especially if they say they are sugar free...it might be a lie fib!

In the post before this I had several commenter's. Thank you so much! I often wonder if anyone is still reading this blog. For the record, I have NOT started smoking this time. Also for the record, I am doing better. The scale didn't budge but my mood has lifted. I have plans for keeping my moods lifted this week too. I am hoping to meet with my old trainer from last fall to see if we can work out a way to meet a few times a week so I can gain my strength back. I am also thinking about doing another 5K. I can't tell you what a relief it is to feel good again!

Part of the reason for my mood lifting, is recently I gave myself permission to visit the Wizard of Oz. He told me "There's no place like home" and that it might take six years, but I CAN go home!

Just the THOUGHT process of giving myself permission to make plans for going home has taken a weight off my shoulders like you wouldn't believe!

Now I am doing some brainstorming. I will be in my mid sixties when the first window of opportunity happens for such a grand move. What kind of life do I want and what kind of life can I actually do, back in California, in my 60's? I've thought about being a 'Life Coach'. I have toyed with the idea of owning a big Victorian mansion where I host retreats for quilters, weight loss support groups, Yoga, and more. I would have some of my favorite old friends help with this endeavor. There is Laume the quilter, Kimberly the masseuse, Gereg the sword play instructor, and Lenie the Bubble Fairie and Labyrinth builder...just to name a few. Yes, I have an odd bunch of friends out there!

Will ANY of this transpire? I honestly am not sure. Just the exercise of thinking this way though, has opened up a whole new world to me and has turned my life around to a happier place.

Why am I sharing this with you? To show you that the power of the mind REALLY IS awesome. If you are struggling...and I certainly was...all it took was resetting my brain. This works for weight loss too. I mean really...I was obese ALL my life. I didn't know what a normal weight was. True I have a few more pounds to go, but every time I have lost weight in the past, I gained it back. Even having had gastric bypass surgery over 30 years ago, did not keep me from being obese.

I had to change my mind. I couldn't do it in the way that a woman is famous (or is that infamous?) for doing. It had to be a total reset in my way of thinking. In eight months I will reach the three year goal of having lost the weight and kept it off. That is my self imposed proof positive that this time I can keep the weight off for good AND live a more normal life. Brilliant!

It was just a mind reset.

The power of the mind is really awesome!

Walk on dear readers...it is a beautiful day!

Move along, move along, nothing to see here!

I promised to not disappear when things were not going as well as I would like them to be going. So...things are not going as well as I would like them to be going. I am up in weight again. (sigh-oh-poor-me)
I could blame it on the weather.
Maybe it is the time of year.
Maybe I have gotten lazy.
Perhaps I am deluding myself in regards to how little I can exercise and how much I can eat.
Just because some studies suggest full fat is better than zero fat, doesn't mean it is better for me.
Insert any lame excuse here _________!

I am going through a very rough time. It is partly my nature. I am a worrier. I have anxiety issues. I suffer with bouts of depression. Often I turn to cigarettes when these things peak in intensity. I have tried medications but part of me loathes the thought of being on some type of antidepressant year, after year.

I know I will work things out. I know I have been saying this for several months now. It is amazing how time flies...it has been almost half a year that this all started piling up. I think it is because I first had to go through the process of accepting that I was not going to get to be 150 pounds. I had to accept that I was going to be in the 180's unless I was willing to do more. I am now trying to balance out what I am willing to do more of, with what weight I can be satisfied with.

I struggle with posting as I really want to stay positive! I have not given up. I won't. I want to learn to like the weight I am at, MORE than giving up and gaining all the weight back that I lost.

I know many others who are at or nearly at their weight maintenance levels struggle with these issues too. I am not alone. None of us are. We can all reach out if we want to...if we allow ourselves to. It is not a sign of weakness. Why would it be?

Ok, today is supposed to be a pretty nice spring day. Things are going well in most other areas of my life. I think I will go for a walk. I always feel better when I do!

Walk-On everyone, be happy, never give up!

Disorderly Conduct

A couple weeks ago it was "Eating Disorder Week", or so says The National Eating Disorders Association. Just think about it for a second or three. EATING disorders. We are a nation of 'disorder-ers' from A to Z. Why? Is it because we want to categorize things? Or label things? Or organize things into neat little boxes and packages of thought? Is it because we want an excuse for something not working?

"I have an eating disorder so I am not responsible for being overweight."

It is something like wanting that magic pill to 'fix' us. We want to take a pill and be thin. POOF! Like magic. We all know it doesn't really happen that way. Oh sure, we can take a pill for a while and lose some weight, but if we stop taking the pill, the weight comes back on. Or we suffer from side effects of a pill and get even sicker!

There are no magic pills. I often say it is not as simple as calories in, calories out but it really IS just that. I know there are flaws in how thermodynamics works in the calories in calories out theorems. The problem is that a calorie is not exactly just a calorie. If our calories in are from cakes and cookies and fried foods, our body will react differently than if those same calories are from vegetables and real foods.

I can't make you thin. Your best friend, your mother, your father, your sister, your brother, your spouse, your partner, not even your God can make you thin. YOU are the only one that can do this. Everyone else can help but only YOU can make it work.

I wish I could make folks believe what I say when I am speaking in our weight loss support group. I have a simple message for them, but they are still too often, looking for the magic answer. It is NOT magic! It is a lifestyle. It is a mindset. It is not that hard! So few believe me. I don't blame them. I did not believe those who came before ME with similar messages. I get it now. I hope you do too!

I came across this nifty idea for quick and easy lunches:

Some people make six lunches, six dinners, and even six breakfasts, a week at a time. They eat the same thing day after day. How boring you say? Why? If we take the power of food/eating away and only use food for nourishment, what matters if it is the same thing or not, every day? 

I don't know if I could do this with every meal. I already do have two breakfasts that are pretty much the same, day after day. If I am hungry for oatmeal, I eat oatmeal. If eggs sound better, I have them. Lunches are pretty close to the same too. I love a good salad with chopped chicken. I can cook up a bunch of chicken on a day that I have more time and then not have to cook for the rest of the week. With the basics of chicken and either romaine lettuce or baby spinach, I can make each lunch varied in so many ways! Perhaps I should go into that more on a future posting. I suppose you'd like photos too? I will give it some thought.

One of my faithful readers shared with me that she was having a rough time of it lately too. I didn't mind that she shared her trials and tribulations. Now if I don't mind listening to hers, should I really worry if you, dear readers, are listening to mine? So often, we bloggers write only when things are good. If we are quiet, things might be really bad. We might have gained weight or had a life changing event or just been suffering the mid-winter blues. We feel that no one wants to read about our failures. But is that really fair? Reading that our mentors are struggling and are real people after-all, might actually be helpful. Misery loves company, right? Well, I really do want to keep things on a more positive note here, but I promise I won't shut down and not post because life has become too much of a b@%^h!

I do find this time of year to be a challenge. For me personally, February has always been a rough month. I forget how many years ago I finally figured this out! I am sure part of it is due to the winter blues from lack of sun, or as it has been tagged; SAD=Seasonal Affective Disorder. (another disorder???) Just being aware of this, somehow helps me get through the month.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that maybe I will have to watch what I eat more than those without an eating problem. Maybe I will have moments where I feel angry with the whole wide world for making bad foods taste SO DAMN GOOD! But, the alternative is just not worth it. I think about what would happen if I just stopped watching what I ate and how much I exercised. Is it really worth all this angst to be thin? Why not just be fat and happy? Why? For one thing, I was not fat and happy. I was fat and miserable. Now I am over one hundred pounds lighter. I am not terribly fat. And I am more happy than miserable. I really like not having to carry around all that excess weight. I have reached the point where the thought of going back to the fatter me is more painful than the thought of tracking my food for the rest of my life.

When I get depressed about being different from normal people, I remember that I was not normal when I was obese. People did not see me as normal then. I am seen as being normal now. I like that I can hide the fact that I have to work a little harder at it but, it is worth it...to look normal...to fit in better...and to enjoy life so much more than I knew I ever could! 

One caveat to all this is that most normal people have a burden of their own to bear. It might be as simple as a mole or a physical part they don't like about themselves such as big feet or a crooked nose. Some have eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia. We ALL have our issues. For what it is worth, I am actually able to say I am so proud that I seem to be taking care of my issue and am a better person, a happier person, a healthier person, and a stronger person than I ever gave myself credit for in the past.

Sproing

That is the noise a spring makes when it springs....SPROING! Sorry...Silly Sally seems to be typing a bit, here today.
I know I have not been writing much. I totally missed last week. We've had a minor upheaval here that took up all of my available brain cells. It is all good though! We went to an open house at a charter school in our area and liked what we saw. That was last Thursday. Monday was our son's last day at the public middle school he's been attending. Tuesday was his first day at the new school. Talk about changes! Our son handled this all very well...better than expected actually! It was more nervewracking for "The Mom" who worries too much.

I still don't handle worry and stress very well. In the past I have started smoking sometimes, when under stress. I've wanted to spend days under the covers and not getting up to face the day. The wine in the cupboard gets used a bit more than it should.

This last time it was the wine. That adds up to several hundred extra calories in the course of a week, so I am up in weight again. I know better. Wine is all gone now. Even though you get a price break for buying a case at a time I don't think I will be doing that again. At least not until Christmas!

In my defense (or trying to rationalize my sins) I recently discovered a wine that I had only been able to get back in California, was available here. I bought some before Christmas and have enjoyed it a bit too often since then. So, like any 'treat' that is too tempting, I will only buy some wine every so often and never by the case. It may be cheaper in the pocketbook to buy it by the case, but it is way too expensive on my hips that way!

You might say I should have the willpower to not imbibe. That is your problem. I deal with my issues my way. Not having easy access to a treat or wine or smokes or chocolate IS my way of dealing with temptations. It works pretty good for me.

In other news:

• The Fat2Fitradio.com podcasts have started up again! It is like having an old friend back too. See a link to that website to the left of this blog.
• I have been enjoying a few new web sights too. One of them has some great ideas for foods. It is all based on healthy eating and is called Green Lite Bites. I tried a recipe for butternut squash pizza! YUM! She has a lot of great ideas for packing lunches too.
• Did you know that there are only a few calories difference between a ground chicken patty and a lean ground beef patty? Yup, that is right! We buy the 97% extra lean ground beef and regular ground chicken. The difference, depending on where you count your calories at, was within ten calories. In some cases the beef was listed as having fewer calories! 
• I made some banana bread with yogurt and applesauce instead of oil. It turned out good too! I find the cakes are spongier, but it is worth it to have the treat without quite so many calories, once in a while.
• I had salmon tonight. The guys had those oven cooked fish fillets with beer batter breaded crust and box mix mac n cheese. Do you know there are more ingredients listed in the SALMON than in the mac and cheese??? No more boxed salmon. Fresh from the meat department, hopefully the fish will be not only the main but also the ONLY ingredient.

I am still walking and doing yoga a few days a week. I want to get back to weight training soon. 

That's all the latest from my house. What's new with you?

"It's CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!!!"

Captain Obvious is a silly name we use in our family. When something puzzles one of us and the other two see the obvious answer, we will tease and say (in very dramatic voices) "Look!!! It's Captain Obvious!!!" It is sillier when you hear it in person.

I don't like it when I miss something obvious. The first time it happened (when relating to food) was when I realized that just because a food is labeled "Natural" it really doesn't mean a dang thing.

Now the wool has been pulled over my eyes again. We have Kroger stores in our area. I can tell the difference in taste between organic and non-organic chicken. Organic chicken is insanely expensive. (I am about ready to raise my own in the back yard!!!)

Anyway, Kroger's new Simple Truth line sounded like a great deal! Finally a fast and easy way to tell non-organic from organic! Just look for that pretty lime green packaging and you can tell the organics right off the bat!

Oh..... but no grasshopper...it does not mean that at all. Case in point. There are six packages of chicken below. All were marked down in price for quick sale. I was tickled to find both breast strips and boneless, skinless thighs the day I bought these. You can see the prices were from a few dollars per package to over six dollars per package! I was willing to pay the prices though, since they were such a bargain!

(singing) "One of these things is not like the others...one of these things just isn't the same"

Over the past few weeks Krogers has really been promoting their Simple Truth line of foods. I began to wonder how they seemed to have all these new organic foods available! Where had they been all my life? What a wonderful thing, to have affordable organics through the store brands! Then I thought to myself, "How do we really know if these foods are really organic?" There are SO MANY different products coming out in that Simple Truth line. My skeptical brain wanted me to do the research...so I did. The picture below has a circle on one of the packages:

You can click on the photos to see a larger version, but the circle is around this symbol:

If the product doesn't have that symbol, it cannot say it is certified organic. What pisses me off more though, is the green packaging. All six packages have the same size green symbol from Krogers. One says Simple Truth and one says Simple Truth Organic. "HEY, IT'S CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!!!"

Shame on you Krogers, for fooling me with this one. You won't get me again...well, not on the fact that your new Simple Truth line is not all organic. It is only organic when it says it is organic AND has that USDA symbol on it.

I do know about cage free, vegetarian fed chicken, that is all natural. Those terms don't mean a dang thing. First off, chickens are not vegan. They eat bugs, worms, and would even scavenge on meat chunks if available...heck they will peck at each other till they kill off the weaker ones!  I know this for a fact. I used to raise chickens on a farm as a kid and on, well into my adulthood.

Cage free doesn't mean they are running through the grassy meadows with the wind blowing in their feathers and the sun shining bright. It just means they are not in a cage. They will be in a large building on the floor though. Many egg layers are caged. Meat birds are generally in crowded conditions so they don't move around too much.

And natural? What does an unnatural chicken look like? Is it purple? Does it have horns coming out of its head? The word natural is not a regulated word. Anyone can use it.

So dear readers, unless you grow it yourself or go to the farm yourself, you really don't know what you are getting. Read the fine print. Look for the USDA logo if you want certified organic. Or get to know a few farmers. I still think I should get a few birds for the back yard. Cock-a-doodle-do!!!

Cheap Cheap goes the Chicken

I have done this experiment twice now. I buy baked chicken from the deli when it gets marked down for a quick sale. I have twice bought two containers of baked chicken for $4.13 per box. The full price is $6.99 per container. Each box has two breasts, two thighs, two wings, and two legs. I will then de-bone them as well as take the skin off. I break them up into containers to freeze for homemade chicken soups or other dishes requiring cooked, chopped chicken. After I do this you can see these results on my counter:

As I work to de-bone and de-skin the chicken, I usually nibble at the wings as they are too hard to strip the meat off of. I actually build this in to my lunch as part of the meal. So those three containers to the right are just meat and are mostly from four legs, four thighs, and four breasts. The pile on the left is the skin and bone.

Those three containers cost me $8.26. I weighed them and did the math. I am paying about $3.30 per pound for that chicken. Remember, this is for TWO birds. Now when I see organic chicken on sale that is already de-boned and has the skin removed, $4/lb doesn't seem as expensive. Keep this in mind when you buy whole chickens, whether organic or not. There IS a lot of waste. Chicken really isn't all that cheap when you compare this way, to boneless beef or pork cuts, or ground beef or pork.

I DO still like the convenience of the cooked chicken. I will not pay the full price for it ever! I would be paying close to $10 a pound then!!!

In other notes, we went for a walk today. We went on the trail to see if it was still blocked by the trees that came down during the Christmas storm we had. The trail had mostly been cleared. The huge fifty foot pile of debris in front of our house though, has NOT been picked up yet. We are not amused.

I was down another pound this week. I am not even trying hard to do anything. I am just living a nice normal life and giving myself some down time to relax once or twice a week. Guess what? I am doing just fine! Even I find it amazing to think I can live life this way! It is so easy! And boy do I get off on the men who seem to go out of their way to hold doors open for me! hahahaha My sweet husband has nothing to worry about though. He is still and always will be the love of my life. I just am not used to being treated with respect from strangers. That is kind of sad, isn't it? Hopefully I am helping others to become as happy and healthy and fit and just normal as I am!

Till next week...walk on!

Zippity Do Da!

Ahhhhhh, it feels soooooo good! Yes, after weeks of being way OFF track, I am finally back ON track! Zippity do da, zippity yay, my oh my, what a wonderful day!

I was all over the place for a while. I didn't give up but I sure was worried for a while. Silly me. I think part of the problem that it took so long to recover from the holidays was our weather here. One day we are in the cold and the next we are in spring like weather. I must admit that walking in the sunshine today was invigorating!

I even dropped a couple pounds. I am always curious to see if that trend stays on the downward slide or not. I would still like to get down another ten or so pounds.

I went back to the pool for the first time in months. My skin was so dried out afterwards! I put lotion on it and I smelled like chlorine. Yuck! I had showered afterwards, but I guess my skin had absorbed more chlorine that I had expected.

It has been fun to have new folks in our weight loss support group. I am always so hopeful that some of them will stick it out and gain control of their lives, learning to live healthier and to maybe lose a few pounds in the process.

I recently found another older photo of me. This couldn't get any more real because both photos were taken in the month of October. The one on the left was in 2007 and on the right October 2012. Gads, was I really THAT fat!!!??? And gads, am I really THAT skinny???!!!

I know this isn't the most interesting posting and is pretty much all about me. I don't have any new tips or tricks to share. I will say though, that giving up is never an option. You might have to side step to get around that big old tree in front of you, but just go forward as soon as you can get around it. You can do it. Shoot, I DID!

Walk-on my friends...see ya on the trail!

Reality Check

Ok, the holidays are over. The yoga classes are back in session. The last of the holiday treats have been consumed. The weight has gone up four pounds since just before Christmas.

I have not been exercising very hard. More like hardly at all. I have kept up with my yoga twice a week and I have walked 3-6 miles per week for the past ...oh, week or so. I have also not done much of anything for a few days in the middle of the week. I used to make it a point to do something six to seven days a week.

I've been enjoying a few too many sweet treats, wine, breads, cakes, candies, and the like. I know why the weight crept back up.

My negative Nelly inner voice is saying, "Here we go, we are going to get fat again." My positive Polly inner voice is saying "No, this too shall pass and we will be back on track soon."
Nelly: "You can't do this long term. You are a fake."
Polly: "That's just silly! You've worked too hard...well not hard, because it was easy. But you've stayed with the plan and did the work needed to lose all that weight! Give yourself a break!"
Nelly: "That is just a bunch of BS. Once a fatty, always a fatty."
Polly: "Yes, it IS true, once a fatty, always a fatty. You will never forget you WERE a fatty. But you will not give back all those diamonds you EARNED girl! Now hush up and give yourself some credit here!"
Nelly: "You..." !!!SLAP!!!
Polly: "Shut up Nelly! She is doing just fine. Leave her alone. Come on Walker Lady, let's plan our week and get back on track."

See you next time. Till then, walk on!!!

Trail check

If you haven't heard, our area was hit by a pretty good winter storm on Christmas Day. Some folks were without power for over a week! Everywhere there are trees and limbs and broken branches that will need to be cleaned up. We had some damage here too, but the house wasn't hit.

We went out today to see what damages there were to the Levy trail we like going on so much. Most of the trail survived and all of it could still be traversed. There were a few tricky parts though!

Ziva let me lead the way so I could feel special.
She is such a brave dog. (coughcough)

New Yoga pose?

There was evidence of folks having cut up some of the trees and branches that were blocking the trail. There was a section of trail that I think of as the 'party' section that you could have driven on as it was so clean. Funny how all the trees and limbs seem to fall sideways along that part of the trail so it was still passable!

With changes coming to my exercise routine again, it was good to know that I still have my trail to fall back on, when all else fails.

Till next time, walk-on!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What's that? It's been a new year for a week now? Really? Gee, time flies! I should have known time was flying since I have been working on getting this post done since New Year's Day.

SO, we made it to another year! Time to celebrate! Time to get back on track if we've strayed off the healthy eating path or if we have not been doing our exercises as we should. (Don't look at me that way!) Of course I was PERFECT over the holidays. Why I exercised every single day! I didn't over indulge. Not me. I am perfect.

Does that all sound right to you? Of course not. I am human! I DID have a perfect holiday as far as exercise and eating healthy. I enjoyed indulgences. I used a lot of shopping in place of actually going to classes for exercising. (Not to mention many of the classes were not going on due to the holidays) I know I gained weight over the holidays. I had way too many carbs, mostly in the form of Chex mix. I had too much alcohol, mostly in wine. I gained about 2.5 pounds. I am not upset about this at all! Ok, I AM a little upset, only because it took so long to lose those same two pounds before! Will it take a long time to get them back off? I don't know yet.

I won't let this set me back though. In fact, I think this will be a great time to see if the theory of 'shocking' the system works. I might have inadvertently kick started a weight loss slide! Then again, maybe not. hahaha

Seriously, there are so many things in transition, it will be interesting to see what does and what does not change. Will the weight go off a little faster or will I be stuck on a plateau for months again? What new exercise regime will I do now that the weight training classes are no longer offered? Will I be walking the trail more? I have so many choices...it is actually exciting!

I haven't made any New Year resolutions. I don't need to. I am resolved to keep on eating right and exercising and enjoying it as much as I can! I will also try not counting calories for a while, to see how 'normal' I can become. Today is the first day that I am doing that.

Ok, if I don't get this posting done and published right now, it will be 2014 before it appears! Or you might think something happened to me and that I quit. Nope, not me! I am still here. I hope you are too! Get back with 'it' as soon as you can folks. It's a great life. Let's live it to the fullest!

As always, dear readers, walk on!

WHO? ME?

Just stopping by to say another quick hello! We are snowed in and I am missing my exercise classes. I knew I liked them, but I didn't know how much I liked them until I'd been deprived of being able to go to them!!!

I think I have gained about ten pounds over the holidays so far. Wayyyyy too many carbs...that chex-mix is wicked good! I hope to walk to the store today to get some much needed fresh produce. We can't drive out there yet and might not be able to for a few more days. My wrist got tweaked and I can't even shovel snow, which I would gladly have done for exercise!

My favorite Fat 2 Fit podcast sent out a notice that they plan to be back in 2013. I sure hope so! I miss that podcast a lot. It won't be the same guys, but I am hoping it will be the same theme...I can't imagine it won't be! "Eat like the thinner person you want to become." That is it in a nutshell. MMMMMMM nuts, cashews, pecans, almonds....we have a lot of those in the house right now too. I think I gained a pound, just thinking about them!

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season as well. Be kind to yourself and get back on track as much as you can, as soon as you can. That is what I plan to do!

Till next year, walk on my friends!!!

Dashing through the snow...

Just dashing in for a quick hello! 

Hello!

No snow here yet. Perhaps by Christmas Day!
Today begins a five day stint with no exercise classes. Whatever will I do?
I am going out to dinner tonight, to celebrate with my husband. It is his birthday today!
I am glad the world didn't end, as some feared.
I refuse to change the number above, that says what I weigh. I've been all over the place and even saw a 180 for a day. I will see what happens in 2013, after the holidays and all the goodies I plan to enjoy!

Has anyone noticed that chicken prices are not very good right now? I have a freezer full of beef roasts and ground beef. I have one package of pork. I have no chicken. Well, I suppose I could have chicken if I bought regular chicken and wasn't waiting for the organic chicken to be on sale. How dare I want to wait for a sale price? It might have something to do with the organic chicken being higher priced per pound than the steak that I buy sometimes!!!
I should look into raising chickens in the back yard. But then I would have to butcher them myself as my hubby and child would hightail it out of here if they saw me wielding an ax.

For the first time that I can recall, I am looking forward to enjoying a goodie or two this holiday season. For the first time, I am not afraid of having a treat or two! For the first time I am not worried. For the first time, I feel in control of what I choose to eat. I will over indulge a bit here and there and I might gain a pound or so. THIS year though, I know I can take it back off as I get back into my routine of exercising and eating right.

It is still SO very easy! I cannot believe how successful I have been and continue to be! Really, if you are struggling, don't give up. Figure out what works for you and in the words of Picard, "Make it so."

On a serious note, yes, I DID walk in remembrance for the children and adults who died in Newtown. It felt good to pay homage to them. I am doing more, but for today, this was the right thing to do.

Now dear readers...enjoy the holidays, your families, your lives, and as always,

Walk On

Time on the 21st

I just haven't felt like posting anything since Friday's tragedy in Connecticut. How does anyone deal with the horror of those little lives being taken so violently? I don't know. I do know I was immensely happy to hug my 6th grader when he came home from school that day. I felt guilty because I had a child to hug.
I have heard some talk of folks saying they are walking for at least 27 minutes on Friday the 21st, in order to remember those 27 lives lost, both young and old. For 27 minutes they will walk in silent contemplation and reverence. I plan to do something similar during my Friday walk. I don't want to hold it to a specific 27 minutes, but will dedicate 30 minutes without music or podcasts playing in my ears...to remember all that have been lost too many times in too many places. Join me?

Being Comfortable

I am enjoying a most delicious apple right now. I take a bite and type and bite and type. As long as I don't drool on the keyboard, I think this will work out just fine!
Speaking of working out, I was thinking about my exercise regimen yesterday. I really like the balance I have right now:

• Sundays I often go for a very long walk. 
• Monday is yoga and I like how I get to stretch all my muscles after having done whatever I've done on the weekends. It seems to start the week out right.
• Tuesday is a short walk in the morning and upper body weight training class in the afternoon.
• Wednesday I am back in yoga class. After the workout on Tuesday, I find yoga relieves tight and sore muscles.
• Thursday is a short walk in the morning again. In the afternoon I go to weight training class for the lower body and legs.
• Friday is a free-for-all day. I usually schedule some sort of errand running or I might do the short walk. Sometimes I don't leave the house, but I will do some housework. I also have recently made a morning appointment with myself to sit for 15 minutes and work on my art journaling.
• Saturday is a toss-up day. I can go for a walk, work on the strength machines, go in the pool, or do major yard work or housework or shopping or nothing. 

I am comfortable. Not TOO comfortable, but just the right amount of comfortable. As each week passes and my weight does not go up, I am thinking..."Is this real? Why is this time SO different? How can this be SO freakin' easy???" Is it because I give myself permission to not be perfect? Is it because I don't need to be 120 pounds to be healthy? I think for each of us, the answer is a different reason.

All those years of trying to lose weight and failing over and over again...why am I successful now? In part I think it comes down to the fact that I educated myself and continue to educate myself about foods and new discoveries in the world of heath. I remain a skeptic about most things (especially the NEWEST things) and stick to the basics that keep working well for me, time and time again. In part, I...

• eat sensibly and mindfully.
• add vegetables every time I can.
• make changes where I can and don't stress about the changes I can't make.
• keep active in life or in exercise classes.
• utilize a support group that helps me stay motivated and is very therapeutic.
• change up my exercise routine if I get bored doing what I am doing. 
• if something keeps tripping me up, I figure out how to not trip over it!

My weight has remained down from where it was a month ago. The more I live, what seems normal to me, the more I am amazed that I am not gaining, and in fact I lost a bit. This is exciting...well to ME it is!

Till next time, Walk-on!!!

Granny was right

Granny was right about more than we realized at the time.

Remember when she was doctoring her family? 

It has been so long ago since I've seen this show but I still recall one episode that has stuck in my mind all these years. There was an episode where a woman asked Granny for help. She couldn't sleep at night. Did Granny have some hill-country medicine that would help her sleep?

What did Granny prescribe? I seem to recall butter churning, floor washing, wall washing, washing clothes by hand with a washboard, and various chores that were normal for Granny to do every day. The woman was well off and had a maid that did all her household chores. When she followed Granny's advice she slept like a baby that night.

I've always remembered that part of that episode. If you're lazing around and at the end of the day you can't sleep, SOMETIMES it is because you haven't been active enough during the day.

A parade of wheat

It has been a whirlwind around this household! After the 'Big Dam Bridge Full Moon Walk' we had a birthday for my son. We then followed up that with a parade! The three of us were in the parade group from Fit 2 Live out of North Little Rock.

That is my son on the left, my husband in the middle and myself on the right. The parade theme was "A Psychedelic Christmas" so I found my original big bell, bell bottom jeans from 1974. Funny how tight they fit back in '74 and how lose they were now! I had to wear a belt to hold them up. What a fun way to get a 4+ mile walk done for that day's exercise!

So many things are on my mind! Before I forget all of them, I am trying to type really really fast! Here are the tidbits from my mind today:

• My weight started a downward trend again! I am not sure why but I am not going to argue the fact that over the last four weeks I've dropped at least two pounds!
• It has now been over a week since I quit smoking. I've been off the patch for four or five days. I declare that I have again, quit!
• I like having a trainer to work with on weight training. He keeps track of what I am doing and what I need to do and when I need to change it up. I like the freedom to not have to think about every detail and to just DO what he says I should.
• I like the structure of the yoga classes too, for the same reasons as the weight training sessions. 
• Having two days a week of structured yoga and structured weight training is plenty for me. The other three days are toss up days to exercise how I want to. I do make it a point to do something in the name of exercise each day, but I no longer am worried that I am not doing enough or doing exercise hard enough.
• I am starting to wean myself off of calorie counting. My New Year's goal is to stop all together. It is scary but at the same time exhilarating to think I can do this!
• My eating habits are getting more and more second nature. I love not having to be so damned obsessive about every morsel that goes into my mouth.
• I enjoy helping others with their weight issues. The longer I am successful at this the more empowered I feel that I CAN make a difference in someone else's life so that they do not have to suffer like I did.
• When I 'cheat' or just have to have something extra I am making it a point to have some mixed nuts, or a piece of fruit, or Greek yogurt. My theory is that since those are more natural foods, they will be absorbed better, health-wise, than a processed food would be.

I saw this on Facebook the other day:

I love the one that says the unopened registers

are there for decoration only! hahaha

My eating habits are leaning more and more towards eating more protein, vegetables, fruits, and drinking more water. I am trying to cut more and more wheat carbs out of my diet. That is an experiment I am working on to see if it makes a difference in how I feel or if the belly fat that I still carry around goes away more.

There is a theory out there that says the wheat we eat now is so far removed from the wheat our grandparents ate, that it is the cause for every ailment under the sun! I am undecided about *GMO stuff, but heck, this is worth a try! (*GMO = genetically modified organism) We often eat too much wheat anyway. Look at the processed foods and just see if there is any wheat in it. We are supposed to be surprised at what does actually have wheat in the ingredients.

We think of breads and such as having wheat, but I think we forget just how much wheat we use in other products. Maybe it IS something and maybe it isn't. I am ever the skeptic, so I can't take anyone's word for it. I will be my own guinea pig again. I'll keep you posted on the results.

That's it in a nutshell for today! My exercise of choice today is decorating the house for the holidays. It is a lot of work but it is also a fun way to exercise!

Till next time...walk-on!

It was a cold and stormy night...

No, not quite. It was cold but the sky was clear. It was almost a full moon. My husband and son joined me in our second annual "Big Dam Bridge Full Moon Walk" last night.

When we arrived, it was almost dark. Aren't those lights pretty? They changed with the music that was playing over the loudspeakers.

There I am, about halfway back to the North Little Rock side, where we started at:

I love how the lights are checking me.

Here I am, posing for a photo. I was on the Little Rock side of the bridge at this point. I wish I could share with you just how exhilarated I was! As I strode along, this feeling of power and strength and pure enjoyment flooded over me. When I did this same walk last year, I didn't weigh THAT much more than I do now...I was about 25 pounds more a year ago. It was a bit of a struggle to do that walk, but this time...this time I felt SO STRONG! That feeling carried me all through today. I was proud of myself. It is a strange feeling to admit that I could be PROUD of what I've accomplished. Little old me...I DID it. I lost the weight. I worked at getting stronger. I accomplished so much! Little old me.......and now I hope I can help others to feel this good about themselves too.

Walk-on dear readers...walk-on.

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving Day! 

I am thankful to all my readers who see my messages and are inspired to keep on, keeping on, with improving their lives, losing weight, and just living healthier! YOU keep ME going! Yes, you do!!!

I am totally not stressed out about today. I plan to eat well and sensibly. I will have pumpkin pie. It won't be the whole pie though, and I plan to enjoy every bite of what I do have. I also will go for a little walk later today as it is super lovely outside today!

I am grateful, that after all these years, I seem to have finally figured things out! I am successful, for the first time EVER, all on my own with no surgery, pills, gimmicks, or major life stresses used to lose weight for a short time, only to then gain it all back again.

I love my diamonds! I did have help though. Without the support of my husband and the folks in my support group, I really believe I would not have been this successful.

So again, thank you!

Not real exercise?

I didn't go to the gym today.
I didn't go for a swim.
I didn't walk on the trail today.
I didn't pick up my weights.
I didn't sit on the bouncy ball.
I didn't stretch out the bands.
I didn't do yoga or a DVD.
however.....
I did cover our 21,000 square foot lawn with fertilizer.
I did feed and mulch the roses.
I did sweep the sidewalk clear.
I did clip off the dead heads of flowers.
I did trim down some shrubs.
I did rake out my neighbor's huge flower bed.
I did sweep off her sidewalk.
I did a load of laundry and a little housework too.
I guess I did a little bit. How about you?

Did I mention we have NINE mature oak trees in our large yard? AND that we take care of our neighbor's yard too? I think almost three hours of yard work will count as exercising today.

Happy Fall! Oh, and walk-on dear readers, walk-on.

Random Thoughts

In no particular order, here are a bunch of random thoughts going through my head today:

1. No news about my friend who was injured. I hope to hear something on Monday at yoga class.

2. I finally took some photos off my phone and have them in my computer now. I have done this before, but here is a reminder of why I don't like the trail so much in the summertime in the south:

That is 77 inside and 110 outside. I bet I could have fried eggs without grease this summer if I'd put them out on the driveway!!!

3. About a month ago these flowers started blooming again. My cell phone camera doesn't begin to do them justice!

They are bigger than a baseball!

4. I have not stopped smoking, but have set Monday as the day to wake up and be smoke free once more! (damn cigarettes)

5. Mark Sisson of paleo eating fame was on a podcast I listened to today. He talks a good talk. He suggests trying his methods for four weeks and judge for yourself. I hate when things sound good because so many turn out to be just another twist on low carb or low fat or .

6. Crabby McSlacker, over on Cranky Fitness, asked on a recent post if we are guinea pigs with ourselves. I read her posting last night and was tired, but that thought stuck with me a lot today. Do we experiment on ourselves to see what works and what doesn't? I would say a resounding yes! 
See #5 above...am I thinking about experimenting with myself with Sisson's program? (the key word there is thinking about) I am not ready to give up on grains and dairy yet though.

7. I am really enjoying weight training classes. I think I am getting stronger. There are hopes that we can keep working together when these free sessions end.

8. I've been avoiding the trail a lot. I have no real reason or excuse. I finally forced myself out of the house at ten this morning and took off. Again, this photo doesn't do it justice. I am SO glad I did go out there.

9. THE BLAME GAME: I was thinking about how we play the 'blame game' with excuses as to why we do this or that or turn out the way we do. I think I started gaining weight around age four when my sister was born. So should I blame her for me being fat? My parents entertained a lot and always had chips and snacks and very buttery popcorn around. Should I blame them for me being fat? Fat makes us fat, or so they said in the 70's. Now they say it is sugar. Should I blame the government for getting it wrong?

I've said it before and I will say it again...we CAN blame everyone and everything we want to blame for how we ARE. We can really only blame ourselves for how we proceed from here.

10. For whatever reason, I have managed to lose over 100 pounds. "Whatever reason"? I worked at it. I didn't give up. I tried again. I tried a different way than from before. THIS time, it worked. THIS time it continues to work. I don't feel like I am starving. I don't feel I am over exercising. I am leading an active life but not at breakneck speed.

Will my way of losing weight work for you? It might. I can offer suggestions. I can offer tips. The trouble is, what happened to me, happened to ME. Not you. YOU have to experiment with yourself to learn what will work best for you.

We all have generalities that we can follow that seem to work on some levels for all of us. Knowing what we eat; eating quality food; fitting exercise in our lives; those all make a difference. Remember that we are all different. We all have to devise a lifestyle that will work for us, personally.

"OH that is TOO hard! I don't want to do all that WORK to lose weight!" Fine. You don't have to! That's the good news, right? Yes, there is bad news. You won't change if you don't change.

That's it for today friends. Walk-on!

Hurting for a friend

I am sad today. At our yoga class we learned that a well liked member had been in an accident on Saturday. She is 65 and was riding her bicycle when she collided with a vehicle. She's been in a coma ever since. We don't know the prognosis.
She was one of the first ones in class that I talked to on a regular basis. An avid bicyclist and gardener, she always seemed full of energy and had a smile. I hope she will be ok. 

And they call it "The Streak"!

I admit it...I am a streaker! When I started changing my life around, I was adamant that FAT was very bad and was making me fat. I cut back everywhere on fatty foods. The less fat the better...in EVERYTHING! I was on a zero tolerance, no fat streak.

I then went on a tangent of having oatmeal every morning. Without fail, I HAD to have oatmeal.

I had a streak of Greek yogurt eating. I often had four or five servings a day!

There was the chicken salad for lunch streak that turned in to baked chicken with spinach salad for every lunch streak.

Right now I am eating eggs a lot. I love them poached on an English muffin with a piece of Canadian bacon. I have two eggs, one each on a half muffin, for breakfast. Yum!

There was the walking over ten miles a week streak, and the swim in the pool five days a week streak. That was followed by shopping every day at the thrift store streak. Shopping became my exercise of choice for a while.

I seem to go in streaks all over the place!

 The trail is beautiful this time of year.

 Ziva is always ready to go farther.

 I noticed this interesting piece of wood buried in the trail bed.

 Early morning sun makes the trail almost look magical.

 This could be a weed, but it still stuck out and begged to be noticed.

 Long tall morning shadows are interesting too.

 Walk-on dear readers!
 But with clothes on please...we don't do that type of streaking!

Move along, move along, nothing to see here

As I write this, this morning, I am beating myself up over two stupid things. The first is that I am still struggling with cigarettes. I am not smoking much, but I am smoking some. I know I will quit again. I hope I get myself kicked in the butt hard enough to make that happen REAL soon. Right now I am having a royal pity party though, and it ain't happening.

The other thing that I am beating myself up for, is over shampoo. Shampoo??? WHAT? Yes, shampoo. I am cheap frugal. It is a holdover from 20 years with my first husband who was a penny pincher extraordinaire. Sometimes this IS a good thing, but not always.

When I go grocery shopping I go down isle 20 in my local Kroger's, to see what is in the markdown section. I have had great luck with trying new things there, that I would never have bought at full price. The latest was Pantene shampoo and conditioner that was 50% off! Wow, a quality shampoo instead of the cheapo watered down stuff that is .99 cents a bottle! What a deal.....until this past week. We used it and it left a waxy feeling in our hair. We could not rinse it out! My hair looked wet or greasy, even though it was just cleaned!

So today I went to the store to return the bottles that I hadn't used. All SIXTEEN bottles worth...over $48 of shampoo and conditioner. The store would not take it back because it was marked down and I didn't have a receipt. I don't blame them, but that hurt the pocketbook a LOT. I did arrange to have the bottles donated to a women's shelter so perhaps someone there could get more use out of it. But I am kicking myself and feeling REALLY bad that I made such a huge and to me, costly mistake.

That's about it for today. The weight is staying the same again, but at  somewhat lower number that is three pounds down from where it had been for over five months. That is good. I am trying very hard to keep doing what I need to do to keep things in line as far as exercise and food intake. My heart is not in it. However, being the cheap frugal person that I am, I am STILL hanging on to those 100+ diamonds and I will not give up. I trust that things will turn around for the better soon...they always do. And I know in the whole scheme of things in life, that this too, shall pass and it really is NOT that big of a deal!

Walk-On my friends, walk-on......oh, and don't buy Pantene shampoo!!!

Floating Along

Weigh-in later today. Struggling with those blasted cigarettes this week. Kinda floating along right now with a maintenence mode of good eating most of the time and exercising too. Keep watching. Knowing me, things will change again soon! (in a good way)

Keep positive! Walk-on and see you around the bend!