Sweet Dreams Are (not) Made of These...

...who am I to disagree? (I love that song btw)
This photo came across my FaceBook page today. If you didn't already know there was a lot of sugar in some of our favorite drinks, you will now! Oh it pains me to see that chocolate milk in the middle too! My 11 year old son drinks that at school. At least I pack his lunches with healthier choices. Maybe I can talk him into bottled water for next year. I guess if I never give him lunch money or milk money, that might slow him down on the chocolate milk!
It is hard being a mean Mom, especially when it is for his own good. It is hard to balance healthy eating nudging with nagging. I know from personal experience that nagging the wrong way can really backfire for an overweight child. I could really damage his self esteem if I make him feel less of a person because he is overweight. If he thinks he is lacking, he may begin to think I don't love him as much because he isn't 'perfect'.
I try to provide healthy choices and of course I am trying to set a good example for him. I know there isn't a perfect way to approach this stuff with him. My gosh, it is almost as bad talking about puberty as it is about being fat!
I know I am a good Mom though. I know I will do what I can do and things will turn out as they will turn out. I have three older (adult) children that turned out pretty good. I think I will do okay, and I think my youngest will be fine.

I've been reading about carbs and sugars (which are carbs too). I even heard today that we should now worry more about carbs...like we worried about fats in the past. "Fats don't make you fat, carbs do" was the statement made. It is very hard to know what is right when trying to eat better and lose weight. Just like it is very had to know what to say or not say to a growing child. In both cases, we can only do the best we can do! Keep an open mind, be flexible, pick your battles...all those things apply to both learning to live healthier as well as raising kids.

April has been quite a month! It was full of ups and downs and challenges for eating as well as exercising. I hope May gets back to a less hectic pace! One good thing...well one extra good thing that happened, was that ONE MORE TIME, I have quit smoking again. It has been a week now. I hope I can make it longer without starting again. There is no real excuse for starting up. It is a nasty stinky expensive crappy bad ishy icky smelly dirty habit. BLECH!!!

That's it for today. I will be walking tomorrow morning, on the trail. Why don't you come along too!

About Town

I have nothing. Well, that isn't exactly true. I have ME! I am working on figuring out how to use the new stuff on my laptop and part of this involves getting photos from my phone to the laptop, edit them, and put them on this blog. So guess what? I have a few random photos to share!
The first photo was shot at the local car wash. (I blurred out the lady's face and license plate.) Before the back window of her vehicle was put up, I read an advertisement on the back about a business that I assume was hers or someone she knows. In big bold lettering, it said "Body by Vi" I was amused at the irony of the advertising and the driver. I wonder just how successful this business is? (Please forgive me, my smirk) I did some searching on the Internet when I got home and found out this is a type of healthy shake (according to their website) that will miraculously give you a fit and healthy body. I think I will stick to my more normal foods.

This next picture is from about a month ago, on the trail. A large dead tree had fallen across the trail. It has since been broken up by someone who obviously uses the trail for driving on. This part of the trail is the more remote part. It is the quietest too. I found raspberry bushes along the sides of the trail last time I was out. I doubt I will be able to actually enjoy the berries though. I am sure the wildlife will beat me to them! I plan to try to find some anyway! Yum!!!

I took this shot this morning. Even with a distorted shadow, I can see some curves. It is neat how my curves go in, instead of out now! I bought groceries today. Mangos are back in and on sale. The pineapple looked pretty good too. I even am treating myself to some very fresh, wild caught salmon tonight. I have organic zucchini to fix with it, along with some wild onions that we picked while on our trip last weekend.




I took this last picture about two weeks ago. Here are two packages of ice cream like treats. They both look yummy. The one on the left appeared at first to be a sweet deal! Fewer calories, sounded like the better pick, by far. Then I read the finer print. The one on the right has four cones in it. The one of the left has EIGHT, and the box weighed LESS than the one on the right with four cones. My guess is that the cones in the left box are itty bitty tiny ones that might have one or two bites to indulge in. Then they are gone. What kind of treat is that???
That's it! I have company coming tomorrow that I wasn't expecting and the house has not recovered from my lack of attention over the past couple weeks. Oh goody...more exercise! (sticking out my tongue)
Till next time...go for a walk!

So Did She, or Didn't She???

THAT is the question...isn't it? I will answer it, later.
We got home late Sunday night and I am still exhausted! I suppose doing several gazillion loads of laundry, putting everything away, making meals, returning phone calls, getting mugged by the animals that missed us...all that and more, might have something to do with it!

We played our hearts out while the cold winds blew and blew and BLEW!!! I think that may have played a part in my exhaustion. I had a lot of random thoughts cross my mind over the weekend. I had a lot of challenges too. Let me bore you with some of this!

I found myself challenged to find something to eat while actually at the event. Although the kitchen provided food for the performers, it was a challenge for me to eat like I am used to, even with my self-permission to indulge! The food provided was good and hearty, but it was also very starchy. I had a bun with beans in it because they had run out of meat. I took a few lettuce leaves and put a dollop of mustard on them to eat too. I also had some corn. I passed on the stuffing, mac n' cheese, cookies, and coleslaw. I spied one loan apple and grabbed that. This was a very strange meal! I was starving by that night when the guys wanted to stop at Wendy's for their promised burgers.

By Sunday I was really craving vegetables, I felt like a Vegan in a butcher shop! On Sunday they had a turkey and elbow macaroni hot-dish. It was just to 'heavy' to eat. I picked out the meat, grabbed an overripe orange and headed for the food vendor on the fairgrounds. I thought I had seen chicken on their menu earlier. They did have chicken wings but they were fried and had some breading on them. What do to? I then saw chili on their menu! I had that without the cheese and crackers. It was so good! Success!!!

So, did I end up ordering that burger at Wendy's on Saturday night? Well, I ended up ordering a garden salad without dressing and I dumped the croutons in the trash. Several times my sweet husband offered me one of his burgers or even half of one. I passed on that offer. It just did not look good to me. I was still hungry though! I walked a couple blocks to a little hole in the wall Mexican joint and got the most delicious chicken quesadilla! I passed on the sour cream though. I've never had a quesadilla that wasn't from Taco Bell or from the freezer department in the grocery store! This one might have been made from scratch. Man that has now spoiled me forever! The chicken chunks actually looked like real chicken meat!

Still no fast food burgers for me! I have gotten real picky with the quality of food is that goes in this old girl's gullet!

Other notes from the weekend include a lady who talked to me at length about how to lose weight. I also saw a very huge person with one of those wheelchairs that are as wide as a small sofa. I felt so sorry for him or her. (I couldn't tell because the person was in the distance)

Monday I dragged myself to Yoga. Oh that felt soooooo good! Today I walked the trail. It is good to be home. It is good to get the validation that I can indulge some, and still not gain weight because of one weekend out of the ordinary. It is good to be back to my more normal routine. It is GREAT to be ME!

Happy Bad Girl

I am on the road tonight. I have been bad today, but I don't feel guilty! For supper tonight I had an Arby's Rubin sandwich and ONION RINGS! I haven't had onion rings for over a year. I did have the Thousand Island dressing on the side, rather than letting them put it in the sandwich. I don't think I even used a tablespoon of the stuff. If I had been concerned, I would have had a roast beef sandwich with no sauce or cheese, taken half the bun off and had apple slices or a side salad.

So, why did I "fall off the wagon" today? Well, for one thing, it has been a very active day and will be a very active weekend. We are performing at a renaissance faire. This means being on our feet and walking for most of the weekend. I also ate a good breakfast and had an apple for lunch. Overall I had plenty of calories available to use, and felt like indulging tonight.

Tomorrow will be a little different. I brought along my usual pre-made oatmeal, some strawberries, and my yogurt for breakfasts here. Lunch will be whatever they feed the performers. They usually have a wide variety of foods, so I will just make good choices and not eat the sweets...well, maybe some tiny cookie might be had. Those faire cooks make good eats! Tomorrow night the guys want to go to Wendy's. I still have not decided if I will finally eat that fast food hamburger or not. Part of me is curious as to how it will taste. Part of me thinks it won't taste good and will be a waste. I already know I won't want the fries. Fast food fries just do not taste good to me. The greasy smell gets me first and the sogginess is not appetizing. Last year I had something with chicken.

No matter what, I know I have nothing to be worried about. I am living a lifestyle that is full and rich. My foods can be full and rich too...not EVERY day, mind you...but once in a while there is no reason not to have a few little guilty pleasures and be a bad girl. 

Peeping In

Easter is over and the last of the Easter candy has been consumed. Gads, are we hooked on candy in this country or what??? I did not have a Peep though, because my kid got mine first. Bad me, for letting him have it and for having brought this confection into the house in the first place!!!

Have you seen the latest push on TV, or elsewhere, where they are condemning sugar in the American diet? It is the worst thing since....since they condemned fats in our diet!

I've been reading information here and there about it. I guess 60 Minutes had a piece on the evils of sugar on their April 1st show. I have also seen a report that says back in the early 1900's the average person may have been eating 20 pounds of sugar a year. Modern day has that amount up to 130 pounds (or more) per year! I can see this as being true because sugar is pumped into almost everything to entice our sweet-tooths. (sweet-teethes?) I wouldn't be surprised to see a future push, vilifying sugars, like they've done with fats in years past.
I can see the latest-greatest-diet craze out there being one that is low-carb with an emphasis on zero sugars unless they are in a vegetable or fruit. (not added to them, but as a part of their natural makeup.)

In other news, I was reading today about this woman who successfully lost a lot of weight over the past year and couple months. It was my own blog! I am sure some of you are getting tired of me exclaiming how weird this all has been! After five weeks of the scale not moving more than a half pound up or down, I have lost two pounds for these past two weeks...four pounds total! The change? I ate MORE! Really! I have often been guilty of not eating enough calories because I get so busy that I literally forget to. I really tried to eat more these past two weeks and it seems to have worked. I plan to try this experiment again, after this week.
This week will be all whacked out because of an upcoming trip out of town. I wonder if I will really, finally, eat a fast food hamburger? I haven't had one for over a year now. I just don't crave them and think they will taste yucky to my retrained palate. Why waste my calories on something that isn't satisfying? I have gotten more picky about such things as I continue changing my life around. But I am curious as to how they would taste after all this time.....

I've often been asked what do I eat? How much do I exercise? What is my secret? It is hard to answer these questions sometimes. When I first started out, I was a stickler for cutting the fats out of my diet. Zero fats were better, or so I thought. I tried to eat less than 25g of fat per day. I don't do that anymore though. I shoot for between 25g and 65g of fat per day. Fat isn't the enemy unless it is excessive. Again, everything in moderation is the key.

I also taught myself how to make favorite foods in more healthy ways. I have made it a point to eat more vegetables. I get creative and try to have fun while trying new spices or cooking methods. I am a avid Food Network watcher. I have tried more new things and learned how to cook better quality foods because of it! I used to cook chicken for hours to be sure all the germs were killed in the meat.

Now I use a thermometer to cook to temperature. My chicken isn't dry and the flavors are amazing!

I also make it a point to eat chicken or fish at the very least, once a week for both. We used to eat a LOT more beef, especially cheap hamburger. Not any more. I buy lean hamburger and rinse off the extra fats, after browning, with a tea kettle of very hot water. I then use the meat in pasta dishes or casseroles. Many times I will make two different sauces for pasta. One will have the meat in it and one will be only chopped mushrooms. I prefer the mushroom sauce. I don't miss the meat. I also don't like ground chicken or turkey, which would be a healthy alternative. I have found that I am perfectly happy with a half serving of pasta too. Oh, and I buy a store brand of Marinara sauce for the base. I suppose 100% homemade would be better than jars or cans, but I haven't tried that yet. Maybe someday I will try the made-from-scratch sauces.

I try to always have something on hand that I can 'grab and go' with. Apples are the easiest to have around. I sometimes have deli sliced chicken for a quick low-cal sandwich. When we make chicken, I de-bone the leftovers and freeze single portions for use in chicken salad or to add to soups. The carcass is then boiled off for homemade chicken stock. Much better! And there is a lot less sodium in homemade stock.
All in all, I just eat healthier! I say this as the sugar from the Sunday morning Bismarck is still tickling my tongue. It had blueberry filling though, so it is healthy eating...right? No, it isn't...but I don't eat more than one, I allow for the calories, and I don't have these every day, or even every Sunday. In the past, I would have had a couple of Long Johns, topped off with donut holes. Talk about mindless eating!!! (side note here: I started typing this on Saturday and am posting it on Sunday. Blogger uses the date that you start typing it, not the date when you actually post)

So there you have it. I touched on some of my eating habits both past as well as present. I plan to talk about exercise on another post. Speaking of postings, I was going to try to be all professional-like and structured with my blog. That was actually keeping me from writing as much! I plan to just ramble on with whatever is happening in my brain at the moment, when I have the time to sit and type. It is more fun for me, and less business-like for you. I hope that some of the words that spoke of to you last year will come through to you this year. (I am rambling...I blame it on the sugar rush from the Bismarck).

I'll leave you today from a quote I got off SparkPeople.com today:
Coach Nancy says: "Trust the process. As long as you are embracing healthy habits, changes are happening within you."

I agree!
See you next time! Now get out there and go for a walk!

Short, Sweet, and Pretty Simple

It is kinda busy around these parts. I am still basking in the 'glory' of having met that 100 pound milestone! I have a renewed empathy for those who have to work, take care of kids still at home, or just lead very busy lives too! This week started off with out of state company, a guild meeting, a class, and a day with the same out of state company! I struggled to exercise as much as I could, but it certainly was not easy! I did manage to eat pretty good, but again, I am struggling to meet the minimum amount of calories that I should be eating! All is well so far though. Today's meeting gave me a chance to peek at my weight on the scale and it is still going down! I can hardly wait to see what it is on Saturday.

No cute clip art pictures with today's posting. I have a show coming up and I have a laptop that I need to learn how to use. :) I am typing this with the laptop tonight! It is good you can teach old dogs new tricks!

Till next time...go for a walk with me!!!

You CAN Do It Too!!!

I found this little cartoon while surfing the Internet last week:

I have gotten to the top of the stairs today. Officially, I have now lost 100+ pounds! I hope to write more about my thoughts as I look back on this new life I learned how to live, later next week. I have a super busy schedule for the next few weeks, but of course I had to announce this major achievement and milestone!

My reward will be here next week:

Yup, I decided this laptop would be the best reward I could ask for! I have wanted one for a long long time! When I post again I hope to include my new set of goals and revisit my old goals. I am still numb that this has really happened! I still ever remain the skeptic and will still eat more this next week in order to test that theory about eating enough calories to make the weight come off! It is so counter intuitive! It worked this week though!

I hope you have a wonderful Easter, or Passover, or Ostara, or however you choose to celebrate this weekend! I plan to have a few jelly beans and maybe I will eat the chocolate ears off the boy's chocolate bunny! (just kidding??? maybe!!!)

No Fools Here!

Things have been a tad on the busy side for me. Sorry I didn't really get much of a post done last week! April 1st was our wedding anniversary. Yes, we ARE fools in love, for sure. :)
We are also getting ready for a musical performance at the end of the month (lots of extra practice needed), and a friend of mine is flying in for some workshops with my quilt guild, next week. School will be out at the end of May and the child will be off to Space Camp then too! So pardon me while I get distracted around here!
I am still stuck at about 192 pounds, give or take a pound. I have been pleased that I have not become discouraged about it. Concerned? Of course I am! What am I doing about it? Besides making sure I am following along with the lifestyle changes I've made, I am trying to eat more.
Wait a minute....did she say MORE?
Um, yes, yes I did! According to the BMR figures, I should never eat below about 1450 calories. According to these same figures, I should be able to eat over 2000 calories with the level of exercising I do. I have trouble making the lower figure on a consistent basis though. This week I am really trying to be even more exact and at least reach that lower number. Even going out to eat for our anniversary though, I still had trouble reaching 1500 calories for the day! One of my biggest problems is that I get busy and plain forget to eat. I've heard that if I do eat more and keep the calories up there in the range I should, that my metabolism will say, "AH! She IS feeding us and we are not starving and we can let some more fat go."
I'll give it two weeks. hahahaha

This has to be a short post today. If all goes well, I will try to post later this week. If not, I will see you next week!