Freaky Friday

Do I write about how the furnace service man said that I looked so good and SO healthy for having lost so much weight? He's used to seeing folks look sickly when they've lost a lot of weight.

Do I write about the neighbor's adult daughter who marvels at my weight loss and asks me every time how I did it. I tell her it is a lifestyle thing of good eating, and staying active. She looks down and says she is on the HCG diet again. Then hands me the banana pudding her mother, our neighbor, made. "I can't eat this on the HCG diet" she explains. She is still looking for her magic pill. (I had a spoonful of the pudding and it was soooooooo good! The child had some for dessert for the next couple nights and I had a spoonful again too!)

Do I write about being interviewed by the Fit 2 Live organization today? Yup, little ol' me was videotaped earlier today. I was talking about the trail I go walking on, the weight training I've started, and my overall journey of weight loss and learning now to live better. And I may have impressed them a bit. They mentioned the possibility of me speaking to some local groups about my experiences.

Maybe I should mention that I am still eating a lot more food and that tomorrow will be one full week of doing so. What will that blasted scale say? Can what I have preached all these past months really be real? Eat more....weigh less? Really? Really?

I think I won't write about anything tonight. I am happily exhausted from a very busy, exciting, crazy day! I have class to lead tomorrow and I need to get some sleep.

Things are a-happening in my life that are..... well they are downright un-freakin-believable!

Happy last day of Summer everyone! See you on the trails and yes, I promise to report the good, bad, or ugly results of the demon scale, tomorrow!

Walk-On!

Train Smarter, Not Harder

That is my message of the day. Lots of little things have been going on this past week. After a surprise drop in weight last week, I gained five pounds when I got on the scale, five days later. Was I bummed? No, I was downright depressed. And it hasn't gotten better. I am still down in the dumps about it. In reading about what to do I came across that phrase to "train smarter, not harder". Eat more, exercise less, be smarter, not harder on yourself. Really.

I saw my doctor for my annual checkup and although it went well, a test was forgotten and I have to go back...and pay another co-pay to have it done. (grumble) However, he was impressed that I had lost 31 more pounds since he saw me last.  And the nurse practitioner kept looking at my chart as we talked and then when I said I had lost 100 pounds total, she said "THAT explains it!" She thought she had the wrong chart because it did not match the weight of the person sitting in front of her! Ok, so that was kinda good.

I was nominated to become my quilting guild's 1st Vice President. I am already their Newsletter Editor and Web Master. I needed to add more to my life, right? Ok, so it is kinda cool to be asked and they promised it would only be when the President can't be there, that I would have to step in and that otherwise it would be an easy peasy job. We shall see.

Thursday I was solo at the support group as my co-teacher had another thing he had to do. We cover for each other when needed and I do not mind that at all. However, on Thursday afternoon, I had my weight training class too. I feel a bit stressed and stretched, so I think I will need to give up the Thursday morning support group until the weight training classes end in January. I am both sad and relieved about this decision.

The numbers are coming in from the tests I had at the checkup and my vitamin D level was way down again. I need to get a supplement. You'd think I got enough sunshine from my walking, but evidently I don't. I also will be seeing a specialist about my finger joint issues. It would be nice to get some pain relief! They want to ultrasound my kidney to check for something else and I need to have the boob squishing test done too. sigh....it is so challenging to be female sometimes!

Thursday my weight was up five pounds from Saturday. Why? In checking online and contacting someone about it, it seems I might now not be eating enough. I know, I preach that all the time. Well, it has come home to me here. So for the next few weeks I am upping my calories by about 500 more per day! Yes, you read that right. 500. I refuse to enter my weight from Thursday on my chart at the top of this blog. Besides, it was Thursday's weight, not the 'official' Saturday weight.

I found out that a local group wants to use a quote of mine in their book about getting our city healthier. They also want to interview me. Wow. Where will THIS lead? What will I do if I can't maintain a healthy weight? I do not want to be a hypocrite! I want to help others. NOW I find I have to help myself more. Should I wear makeup? I don't own any. ACK!!!

(I told you so, Robert...you have to give me THREE years before any of this change in me will be real and credible.)

I am tired tonight and have a big day tomorrow. I hope this posting makes sense! If not, don't pick on me too much. Later gators......

Cultured Corner

I have been keeping an artist journal that is loaded with references to my lifestyle. The ups and downs of weight gains and losses make for interesting topics. This is one page that was done back in July. I think I will share these with you all as the mood strikes me to. (smile)

All Wrapped Up

Years ago I remember my folks getting such a kick out of a joke where a woman met her husband and his boss at the door, wrapped in plastic wrap. (She didn't know the husband was bringing the boss home) Dad really thought this was hilarious. Mom just thought it was amusing....she had often complained when Dad brought home unexpected company for dinner.

I've been thinking I should wrap my body in plastic wrap. No, I would not meet my husband at the door like this, although I could ...... never mind! Anyway, when you wear a ring for a long time, that area of your finger gets slimmer. Why not wrap the saggy parts of my body in plastic wrap to shrink that?

If you do an online search about body wrapping in plastic wrap, you will be amazed at how many folks have tried this! I also found out that you can really mess up your skin. Some folks don't know they are allergic to certain plastics and blister up as if burned. Some leave it on too long and just have all kinds of yucky things happen to their skin. I think I will pass on this method to make my skin look less like a bloodhound and more like a human!

Yesterday I was in the thrift shop and decided to treat myself to a new piece of clothing. I am getting pickier about what I buy and what I keep in my closet! I found three pairs of jeans to try on. I didn't want the cheapo looking ones and went for those that had interesting details like studs or braiding on the pockets. All three were size 18's. One after another, I tried each one on. This is no easy feat when balancing on one foot trying to get my legs into jeans without crashing into the changing room mirror! One after another I tried each on and time after time I had to admit that none of them fit. They were too large! Really? I went back and found two more pairs of size 16 jeans. I tried them on. They fit! I was fully prepared for them to not fit as they are higher-end jeans. But they fit like a comfortable pair of leather gloves...snug but not tight, no sagging, no baggy butt, not too tapered in the legs...perfect for how I like wearing jeans! I used to wear size 28 jeans. Size 18 was really small to me. Size 16 seems really weird...but in a good way!

As I went through the checkout I was talking with my favorite checker girl about my fabulous finds for the day. I mentioned how happy I was to find out I was a size 16. She looked at me and said, "I wouldn't think you WERE a size 18!" Sweet girl. I should have given her a tip.

Just a few more notes before I head out to face the day...Cynthia commented on "The Thinker" posting, saying she had food obsessions. She thought that was a strong word, and I agree. However, I also agree that we get obsessed by certain foods! One way I have handled it is to find a substitute that would satisfy. If I craved cheesecake I put a little sugar-free/fat-free Jello Cheesecake pudding mix into my fat-free plain Greek yogurt. Sometimes I get fancy and put some lemon zest on that. It is very good. If I crave brownies, I find a recipe that I can cut the calories down by using yogurt or applesauce. I then calculate and allow for the calories for a serving of said brownie and I give the rest away to neighbors, the child, or sometimes freeze a few separate servings. Take the power away from the cravings and find a way to satisfy without insanity. It can be done!

Cynthia and I both agree, it just doesn't seem fair that those of us who tend to be fluffy MUST think about food and food choices a lot. I cannot say if this will ever become second nature or if we will always have to live like this. I am trying to make it more a lifestyle that I live so I do it without thinking. I have the snacks available for when I am just Jones-ing for something crunchy or salty. These are snacks that are 'ok' by my choice, to have and to not worry too much about consuming.

Finally Cynthia talked about loose skin too. She's lost almost 150 pounds, but still won't go out in shorts because she says she looks like a deflated elephant! I really know what she is saying. Plastic surgery is just not an option. I hope when I go in for my annual checkup next week, that my doctor can give me some hope for a lot of these wrinkles eventually becoming a little less like bloodhound skin. In the meantime, I am also looking into ramping up some weight training into my schedule. I haven't done much in that department and need to check it out.

Well, that's it for today I guess. I have a busy weekend ahead and a busier week next week! It is all good though. For now, take care of yourself, and walk on......

The Thinker

I've been rethinking about a lot of things lately. I actually took off the whole weekend to spend time with my family. No trips to the center for exercise or meetings or classes, no walks, no sitting at my computer in my studio away from family. It was wonderful.

I wasn't just sitting around being a couch potato, nor did I ignore my food choices. We stayed active. We worked for hours in the hot sun, doing yard work. We went shopping. We moved furniture around in the house and put shelves up. I exercised a LOT that way!

It's been five solid months now that the scale hasn't really moved. I fluctuate between 187 and 189 pounds, give or take an ounce or three. When I stop and think about it, I have reached a level of comfort and weight that might be just where I stay at. I lead an active life, make a point of exercising several times a week, eat sensibly, and take care of myself. Is this really as easy at it seems? How was I missing this all my life?

I don't feel deprived. I am not starving. I am not beating myself up on the treadmill. I am not running marathons. I am happy! Okay, so TODAY I am handling the stuck scale just fine. Will I feel this way tomorrow or next week? I don't know yet.

Another thing I wonder about is all this food stuff. Is organic really better? I agree that some organic foods taste better, but some do not. Organic also costs double or more. I don't mind paying more IF it truly tastes better. If I cannot tell the difference though, does it really matter THAT much? I am starting to ease up on my restrictions of trying to always only buy organic. I think I will use the non-organic if it tastes the same or better. I still like the organic chicken better for taste, so I will probably keep buying that. As far as the organic beef...ground beef, it does not taste any better or worse. I would do better on buying the really lean non-organic beef than spending even more on the organic. 

All these decisions are subject to change as the wind blows. It is just that lately I am thinking I don't really have to be SO hung up on every little thing!!! I am obsessive enough about other stuff in my life! I don't need to obsess about food too. And having said all this, I certainly will NOT gain all my weight back! I plan to keep that 100 pounds off and gone for good. I know I can do this now. I have done it for almost a half a year. IF things change in the future, it will be because I decide to make it change. The only option for change would be to try to lose more weight. Right now, I think I will coast for a while and see where this leads me. 

As ever, I will be researching and reading and listening to pod casts and videos. There is so much information out there! I also will be having my annual check up next week. I have lots of questions for the doctor. His answers and the tests results will probably play a part in how I proceed from now on too.

Success is neurologically determined by one's ability to stay focused on a task. My task is to eat healthy, stay active, fit exercise in my daily life or fit activity in my daily life. If I do that, I will be successful.

To TOTALLY change thoughts now, there is one thing I wish I could take care of. I have so much loose skin and flappy body parts that I feel so ugly sometimes! My bat arms could lift me high in the sky if a strong wind came up. Perhaps I should do what the lady in the picture below is doing. Heck, wouldn't it be the patriotic thing to do?

Till next time folks, walk on!

Ven Venting

Besides being a quilter I am also somewhat of an artist. I've always wanted to be one, when I grew up. Because of my artistic leanings, I am drawn (pun intended) to artistic shows. One such show is Project Runway. I think it is season 10 right now and we are about a third of the way into the shows. Each week these fashion designers are given a theme and they need to come up with a design and an outfit for models to wear.

In the past they have had to make something that a business woman could wear from office to dinner date. They've been able to design for stars who would be attending a red carpet event. They were sent to a hardware store once, to find items to make into clothing. (Most of the time they go to a place called Mood, that is a huge fabric store) You should see what you can make from black plastic garbage bags! I love seeing how their creative minds work.

Last week they were designing outfits for normal women whose friends wanted to give them a makeover. This is always challenging for designers to do because they are used to working with models that wear like a size zero. When you start getting over a size ten you are way up into the plus sizes in the fashion industry. (can you see my eyes rolling here?)

I forgot to mention that this show starts with about 15-20 designers and each week they eliminate one. Of course we get to know more and more about the different designers as each show comes on. And beings this is a 'reality' TV show, there is always some drama.

So, last week this one designer contestant gets a woman of size assigned to him. She was a whopping size 10 if you listened to her and size 14 or more if you listened to the designer that had her as his client. This designer's name was Ven. I think he is in his 30's and he really is a very talented designer. I don't like him as much any more.

All through the show he is complaining about how huge his client was and how he never designed for 'a woman of size' before. He says to his client that he will try to find a belt in a larger size as the ones he's been given are all too small. He says remarks that plainly are hurting the woman. He seems blissfully unaware at how he's coming across.

I am not the only one who wanted to throttle the man! However, on a list group I am on, of fellow artistic types, a person came on and asked why didn't the woman stand up for herself? Why did she take all that abuse and cutting comments without saying anything? She is seen crying in some clips, so he really did hurt her feelings.

This happens to so many women of size. We take abuse because many of us have such low self esteem that we feel we are not worthy to stand up for ourselves. When the obvious is pointed out to us, it hurts but we are agreeing inside that we really are awful people for being so huge.

I had planned to go on and on about this but after trying to write this post since Wednesday, I am giving up. Just know that I am angry with that designer and wish for him to lose the contest. I am angry at people who judge others for their size or looks or bank accounts. I am angry at myself for being judgemental and for having felt that I am not worth 'it' either. Gads!!! Self worth is so hard to feel sometimes!

and that is all i have to say for today.....blah

Go Ask Alice

"One pill makes you larger, one pill makes you small. 

The ones that Mother gives you, don't do anything at all. 

Go ask Alice, when she was just as small."

(From Jefferson Airplane's song "White Rabbit")

So if there really was a magic pill to lose weight, what would that mean? Well, since most traditional magic is an illusion, the weight loss from that magic pill would end up being an illusion too. You have to change your lifestyle...THAT is where the real magic is found.

Thanks, I Needed That

I came across the picture above and thought I'd share. You know there are a lot of web sites out there that talk about food. We are obsessed with food, aren't we? We want to know how it makes us fat, how it makes us healthy, which foods have the most calories, which foods are better for our [insert body part here], which foods are going to kill us faster, and on and on and on and ON!

The more I read about foods, the more I see the same theme come through.... "Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants" says Michael Pollan. "Eat like the thinner person you want to be"stated by Russ and Jeff of Fat 2 Fit fame. You don't have to eat like a caveman to eat right. You don't have to count calories for the rest of your life. You don't have to exercise till you drop, hour after hour, day after day. You can eat meat. You can have ice cream. You can eat lettuce or feed it to your pet rabbit. Living healthy and maintaining a proper weight really isn't rocket science.

I look at it this way; to weigh what I should weigh I needed to learn how to change my lifestyle. I needed to balance out my foods...to eat real foods, not processed ones. I needed to learn portion control. I needed to learn to plan for meals, and emergencies, and cheat days (that really are not cheat days). I needed to make it a point to build some sort of exercise into my daily life. It couldn't be just now and then, but real on purpose exercising every day. Some days were easier than others and some days dragged out. Some days I felt like going all out for a five mile hike and other days I could barely make myself get out of bed....but I did. Whatever I choose, I choose to DO it, not just think about it. 

I needed to accept that I would eat more than I should sometimes. I needed to allow for stressors in my life and to not use them for an excuse to pig out on chips and chocolate. I needed to realize that I needed a support mechanism to help keep me motivated. I needed to learn that because I had been obese for most all my life, that becoming a non-obese person would mean that I had to think about what I was choosing to eat on a daily basis. In other words, I would have to think about food more than thinner people did because it was not second nature for me to think thin. It has gotten easier but I still need my crutches. For now I need to count calories and step on the scale to be sure I am  thinking right in my head. Someday, I really do hope to have this all be more second nature. I think I can make that happen too.

It isn't just a lifestyle, it is the lifestyle I have chosen. It has become a lifestyle I rather enjoy! I am STILL amazed though, that this has happened...this massive weight loss...in fact, I am thrilled that it has! "Who IS that skinny lady in the mirror?" She's becoming one of my best friends.

I sure am glad I didn't have to rely on a magic pill. Most magic is an illusion. This new me, is very real and no one can take it away from me unless I let them. I don't plan to. I earned my diamonds. I am keeping every single one of them!

Till next time, walk on friends, walk on....

New Shoes and Pet Peeves

Where do I start? I have a bunch of little things on my brain tonight. My weight is staying the same. I was able to get out on the trails twice this week so far! Oh my it felt good to get back but I am soooooo tired!!! I knew I would lose some muscle toning. I was still taken aback at how much in such a short period of time! So I am back on the trails again and my new shoes will be with me for the next couple hundred miles:

These are Asics and I just love their wild colors!

This past Sunday I had fun by taking a class that was an intro to belly dancing! Imagine this overweight (almost old) lady in a room with five or six young chickie-babes! Guess who showed her belly in class? It wasn't the chicks. hahahaha! What a workout it was though. It was two and a half hours of movement and movement in ways I hadn't thought of doing before! I have renewed respect for the art of belly dancing. I look forward to seeing some dancers at the next renfaire I go to!

One pet peeve I have about belly dancers is those that are obese and dance. Now I DO applaud them for going out and learning the craft. But I am a prude. I do not like seeing REALLY obese women doing belly dancing in public. It is a turnoff to me. I think belly dancing is exotic. I have no doubt that obese women are perfectly capable of doing beautiful dancing. I just think there is such a prejudice out there against the obese, that people won't be able to see the beauty for the fat. It embarrasses me.

If you ever want to waste time, go look at the photos that are taken of people in Walmart on a site that shows some of the worst customers you would ever see in public. Why do fat and obese people dress so horribly? I know I did not dress well when I was obese, but at least I had clean clothes on and covered up most of my rolls of fat. I wore sweatpants in public but not short shorts with my cheeks hanging out. I wore a shirt that covered my bra both in front and in back. My belly is not exposed. My butt is covered. Why do people go out in public looking so horrendous???

Here is another peeve of mine. Have you ever watched Extreme Makeover? It is one of those 'fat-to-thin-in-record-time' type of shows. One person is followed for a year. They are coached and helped along the way with a trainer. Of course there has to be as much drama in each show as they can make up to keep people watching. My peeve with this show happens on a lot of these 'let's make the fat person suffer while losing weight and maybe they can throw up in the process' shows. They push the person on the first day, by exercising them really really hard. This past Sunday the woman, who they were working with, was being pushed and pushed. She was straining and struggling and sweating up a storm. She had longer hair. WHY didn't they let her put her hair in a ponytail? No, they let it hang and get wringing wet and stringy. 

It drives me nuts to have strands of stray hair in my face. I cannot workout with hair in my eyes. It was really bugging me to watch that woman suffer so much in the first place and then to have her not be able to have her hair up and pulled away from her face. Geesh!

Okay, I have ranted and raved about trivial stuff. I won't go into how that woman was saying she was so old and doing all this exercising and life changing stuff. Piffle. She was in her mid forties. She's just a youngster! Peeves are unique to oneself. We are all allowed to have them! This is my blog. I shall have my peeves and cake if I want to. So there!

FOODIE IDEA: Speaking of cake...if you don't mind fat free, sugar free pudding mix, get some cheesecake flavored mix. Take your fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt of choice and add a teaspoon of pudding mix to about a cup of the yogurt. Stir. It tastes so good! I add a little fresh lemon zest to mine. Ultra decadent! I have experimented with chocolate, vanilla, and banana flavors. I did not care for them as much. I think it is because the yogurt is tart and lends itself to the cheesecake basic flavor. I've added strawberries to it and it just took it to another level. Anyway, give it a try. You can add more than a teaspoon to adjust the flavor level too.

The weather has turned and I can feel my body coming back to life! I am looking forward to walking the trails and roads more and getting back into a better routine for myself and my body.

That's it for today! Till next time, Walk On!!!

Possibilities

Did you slip up today? Here are great words of wisdom:

"Today not possible. 

Tomorrow possible." 

H. U. Lee

One Size Fits All

Many of you have seen those articles of clothing that say "One size fits All" or the more politically correct phrase, "One size fits Most." I like how SparkPeople's Coach Tanya says:

"Weight loss is not 

a one-size-fits-all activity!"

I was listening to a podcast today that talked about a blog called The Token Fat Girl. The blogger was giving up on blogging for a while. Her blog is about her battles with losing weight. She was tired of all the things that come with blogging about her struggles with her weight control. She's tired of counting calories day after day without seeing the weight drop. In the podcast the narrator said she shows pictures of what she eats. He says, "For breakfast she had a breakfast cookie." The voice inflection was one of shock. Granted a cookie for breakfast sounds odd, it seemed to be a healthy recipe though, and she doesn't do it every day. I didn't see 'guilt' or 'sinful' in the list of ingredients either.

When I went to her blog I glanced at some of the content. She has a lot of interesting recipes for low-cal stuff. I may look at her blog more in depth. A lot of what she seems to be doing is real similar to what I eat or strive to eat on a daily basis.

The podcast was going on and on about how it is wrong that we should count calories so religiously. The example given was that we don't have to think about breathing or pumping blood throughout our systems, so eating should be the same. The guest being interviewed on the podcast says that this is a calorie myth...calorie counting should not be the main way or method to our weight control. The guest was a proponent of the 'set-point' theory. This is where your body has a set point that it will fight to stay at, no matter what you do. It is in your genes to be fat, no matter what you try. He says that we need to know what our hormone balance is to reset our set-point. He says that the hormones we had as teenagers and the hormones after menopause, were of course, different. All those hormones caused us to gain or lose weight.

(Ack, this all gives me a headache. I don't like blogging all the time either. However it keeps me motivated. I've said before that it is hard to admit when things don't go right but it keeps me more honest with myself.)

Anyway, back to the podcast. It is yet another one that says you need to eat MORE, not less, to lose weight. However, the MORE you need to eat is more 'real foods' more vegetables, more whole grains, etc. We all know what we are supposed to eat more of. So why don't we? I know, I know!!!! Because the fake foods taste so damn good! The guest on this podcast is also saying that eating healthy and keeping ourselves healthy should be second nature to us. We shouldn't have to make such a big deal out of it. Our ancestors didn't count calories. Most of our Grandmothers or Grandfathers did not count calories. Why do we have to count calories to live healthy? How do we measure without counting calories? I guess we magically can do it by eating only natural foods and avoiding starchy ones. That is what I am getting out of this person's take on weight control anyway.

The guest basically says to eat this way and don't count calories: 

1. Fill up on fluffy foods like salads, non-starchy veggies, and foods with lots of fiber.
2. Remember what your ancestors ate and try to match that. If it is advertised on television, you can bet this food is not good for you or even considered a REAL food.
3. Buy in bulk when you can so that you have plenty of real food available.
4. Drink lots of water or green tea.
5. Do what works best for you. Start with a 33/33/33 division of fats, proteins, and carbs. If that doesn't work for you, eat more of one type and less than the other type. 

Real food is called "sane food" by the guest. It infers that manufactured foods are insane, right? Now I kinda like that way of thinking!

All in all, I am sure this food plan works just fine. I am even more sure I won't be following it. I like being able to check my calories. Like the scale, it is a nice tool for learning how to eat and live healthier. Perhaps I will think differently someday. I know I get tired of checking calories but I am still working to be sure I am eating a true portion and knowing what is in that portion. It takes time to retrain the eye.

In other news, I feel great. Not only have I resisted cigarettes still, I was able to go out for a walk this morning. I am not back to the trails yet as it is still a bit too hot and my son is still on summer break from school. (I don't like leaving him home alone too long) Even though it was just a mile and a quarter around the neighborhood, I feel so much better! I think my self doubts about my muscles atrophying and my weight coming back on and all those things I worried about, will be for naught. When I mentioned, to my sometimes too wise husband, that I was worried the weight would all come back on, he pointed out to me that in the past...when I have had the weight come back on, I would just give up and let it happen. He doesn't see this happening this time. That boost of confidence by him, for me, really helped!

So, let's all go for a walk or three this week and boost ourselves up! Walk On!!!

Rock On or Walk On?

Oh it was hard to admit that weight gain of half a pound yesterday. But the more honest I am with you the more honest I am with me! It is totally due to lack of exercising which is very much related to excess heat here in Arkansas. There is light on the horizon. Next week shows some temps down in the nineties for daytime and maybe even in the upper sixties in the early mornings. Also, it is August, which means cooler temps will be here in a few weeks. At least that is what I am telling myself!!!

I've been busy reading and listening to podcasts about a lot of new diets coming out and of course the 'sugar is the devil' stuff. Once I wrap my head around each new thing though, it comes back again and again that just eating sensibly, eating as close to real foods as you can, minding portion sizes, and avoiding too many sweets or fast food joints, is really what it is all about.

When you read or listen to these folks, their information sounds so real! They sound like they have found the true answers to losing weight and keeping it off. They have research to prove their points. When you get to the main points they are touting you come to realize it is a low-carb diet, revisited. Or it is a high protein diet, re-purposed. Or it is a variation of Atkins, South Beach, and others. Since we all want to be told that if we eat exactly one way our poundage will melt right off...forever...we buy into these newest-latest-greatest diet plans, try them, and eventually, usually, we fall off the diet and feel like failures again.

If I were to eat differently, I might try being a vegetarian or vegan. I doubt I would miss meat that much. I would miss my yogurt though, so vegan might not be for me. As long as I live with my husband, I will probably not be a vegetarian either. (just musing out loud here)

Today I am off to the shoe store. In anticipation of cooler weather, Momma needs a new pair of shoes! I've been looking and oh my, the choices I have out there! AND you should see the wild colors they come in! No more just plain white or black for me. No more cheap ill-fitting shoes for me either!

Keep cool out there!
Until next time, rock on walk on.......

Get yer behinder OUT there!

I can hardly write about much of anything because I have been in hibernation! Too bad it wasn't a typical hibernation in the middle of winter though. No, this is caused by relentless 100° plus weather! Yuck. The heat isn't the only thing rising, so is my weight. I can only think that I need to get back to more regular exercising. I am not really worried about the weight gain. I know I will lose it again and we are still only talking a pound up or down, here or there. I do plan...no, I WILL be working to be sure I don't slack off anymore. I might be walking at the local mall in their AC, but I will do something a little more 'on purpose'.

In other news I just finished reading this book:

It was a hard read for me. It wasn't that the material was hard, but her writing style doesn't agree with my reading style. It is a story of a 30-ish woman who loses a lot of weight. It includes her ups and downs as it goes on. It sounded like she might have been on the 12 Step program "Over Eaters Anonymous". One thing that struck me with her story was her renditions about becoming a girlie girl. I too, never thought about what I was wearing before. It had to be lose to hide all the bulges.

The story also touched on how her attitudes towards dating and men and even other women had to change. The way she looked at herself and the way she thought others looked at her, were based on how she used to be when she weighed over 200 pounds. Now that she'd lost the weight she had to change the way she interacted with others.

I know this has happened to me at times. One of the most noticeable has been men opening the door for me. Sometimes they seem to go out of their way to do so. I am not used to being treated with respect. I love it! I also feel sad that I was getting treated worse than I even knew. Is ignorance bliss? I wonder.

The more books I read, the more and more clear all this diet stuff becomes. Time and time again I am proving to myself that it isn't how many carbs or fat grams are in your food so much. The types of foods you get your calories from make a difference though. Think of it this way...would you be more full after eating a 250 calorie candy bar (which isn't much) or a huge plate of salad with chopped chicken and a healthy low cal dressing? The satiety factor is what makes one type of calorie source better than another.

All this recent sugar talk has me thinking it is just the latest craze to make a buck, to get a grant for research, or some such. Just like fat in the 70's being the devil in the food, now sugar is. When fat was declared Food War I, the manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon and made a bunch of food like food that was low fat or no fat. Now it will be sugar. You wait and see!

I went to Yoga today and then came home and grabbed the child and we went shopping for three hours. Tomorrow I have more indoor fun plans and if they don't workout, we will go to the pool. Friday my staples come out and my kid and I will hunt for rummage and estate sales for exercise. On Saturday I think I will work out at the center in some way. I am not going to give up my diamonds!

Well THAT was interesting...

What a day! It started out just fine. I made it to the library in time to drop off the child and for me to get to my Weight Loss Support Group class at ten. We had a nice class AND I dropped over two pounds from last Saturday. I am claiming that today just because I deserve a mood boost...and it looks good on my tracker at the top of the blog.

After class I picked up the child at the library and we were off to the printers to get my quilt guild's newsletter printed. While that was printing, we stepped over to Goodwill to see what treasures the child might find in the electronics department. None were found but I promised him a trip to Savers tomorrow to see if there is anything there. (He likes taking things apart and fixing them)

In the same shopping complex is my grocery store. We walked across the hot parking lot (temps in the 100's again) instead of moving the van here to there. After the printers we walked to get the groceries for the week. We did a lot of walking on the pavement and in the stores.

Then we loaded up the groceries and rushed home to have a quick lunch while putting up the perishables and to get to the swimming pool for a half hour of exercise before coming home to do umpteen many things and to make supper. Ah the best laid plans of mice and men! We rushed to the pool. We got out of the van. Son opened the hatchback of the van to get pool toys. Mom gets towels and beach bag and shuts front van door. Mom heads to back of van to get pool noodle for exercising. Son shuts van hatchback door..............on Mom's head! OUCH!

Dang that hurt!!! I figured the pain would subside in a few moments and we could get on with our pool time .... until I felt something cool and wet. I was bleeding! Poor kid was weirded out! I put the beach towel on my head to sop up the blood and headed to the lifeguards to ask if they had a First Aide kit. They did and helped me get cleaned up just a bit. They were young girls and although they did very good with this old lady and her bleeding head, I could tell they were nervous about it all. They said yes, there was a gash and I probably should have it looked at.

Sigh.....no swimming for us today! When all was said and done, I got three staples in my head and a tetanus shot. I should be just fine, but might have a headache. And you might ask why I am sharing all this with you? Well, it is because while getting stitched up I had my blood pressure taken. It has been a while since I've had it checked. I have been running in the high 130's to 140's over 80's for years and years. Today it was 124/77. I cannot recall seeing those numbers...ever! I am even more excited to go to my yearly checkup in September to see how my other numbers are doing!

Ok, I also was happy to have been down a few pounds again. What a day! I hope yours was better...although you can't beat those BP numbers! :D

Is it Hot Enough for Ya?

I've been thinking about what to write about all day. Sometimes I feel like a broken record! If you follow my blog a little TOO closely you might have noticed that my weight was up last week, about a pound. I am pretty sure I know why too. I am not walking like I was. It is just too hot. I didn't write to you about it though. Sometimes I don't like to comment on the negative stuff. I don't like admitting I've failed to lose. But then I hope that by sharing the downs, you will see that there ARE ups and downs and no miracles. Also, if you have had some success, I hope you will see that and hold on to your successes. I know I do. I am not going to throw my 100+ diamonds away! I earned every one of them! They are MINE and I plan on keeping them and perhaps getting a few more.

One thing surprised me about this down time in my journey...as time went on, I noticed I was getting more and more tired. When I was out walking almost daily, I had lots more energy! So my metabolism is changing, and not exactly for the better!

What am I going to do about it? Well sir, I got up on Monday and made a pact with myself that I would go to the pool every day this week, that the weather and my schedule would allow. I've done that three days in a row so far. I already have seen a change. Who knew that exercising also builds energy? I have read that it did, now I know for a fact that it does!

Something else I noticed surprised me. My bad knee isn't as bad as it was. Now I am wondering if the shoes I wore contributed to that? I have seen stories about these Sketcher's Shape-Ups being not so good for some people. I know I often feel like I am balancing on them. The second pair are worn out enough that I plan to get a new pair of shoes in a month or when the weather cools down...which ever comes first. I won't be getting the Shape-Ups again.

On the food front everything is going just fine. I have been having no troubles with my eating other than a few days of not eating quite enough. The melons and so many other fruits are coming in full season. Dee-lish!!!

Following is a quote I found online. I changed a word or two to protect the innocent:

"You’re right. It is easier to eat pizza then to run on the treadmill. It’s easier to turn to ice cream rather than to people, for support. It’s easier to say ‘forget it, I give up’ then to say it ‘FORGET THIS!!! I CAN DO IT!!!.’ So you know what? I’m not going to sit here and tell you day after day that you can do this. If you don’t believe you can, then you can’t. That’s the honest truth. You need to do this for you. And if you don’t want it enough, then you sure as hell won’t achieve it. So take the easy way out and remain unhealthy and continue to gain weight because you can’t realize you are the only one hurting yourself.
I didn’t say it would be easy. I said it would be worth it."

 I do sometimes wish I could say this to people. I feel it would be mean though. I know I would not have liked anyone saying this to ME when I whined about how I hated exercise. Or how I hated counting calories. Or how I hated having to learn how to read ingredient labels. Now I HAVE said that losing weight is easy! I need to clarify that a bit. It IS easy to lose the weight, but to LEARN how to do it....to educate yourself...now that can be a bit daunting at times!


Keep cool! See ya at the pool!

The Best Plan to Lose Weight

SparkPeople's Coach Tanya says:
There is no magic eating plan, program, or product that is guaranteed to help you lose weight and keep it off. The plan that will work is the one you will follow.

Snap!!!

I wish I were talking about a cold snap. The heat is coming back...temps to be in the hundreds and little to no rain as far as the forecast can see.

Need I say more? I do? Um....okay, my weight is staying the same...still up and down those same four pounds. You know what? I am getting more and more okay with that! I suspect when the temps cool down and I get back into my regular walking, I will drop ten pounds and settle in at that new weight for a looooong time...if not forever! I would be very okay with that!

Other tidbits...one of the postcasts I listen to is selling supplements now. I don't like that. I DO like the podcast for the most part, as the advise is good. I just don't agree with the side sales of supplements and their diet theory that it is all hormones that make us fat.

My all time favorite podcast is still on hiatus. I hope the one who is having health issues, recovers soon. I still like their theory best...live like the thinner person you want to be.

I found a new ice cream that I like. It is Breyer's Carb smart chocolate ice cream. It packs a lot of creamy taste with fewer calories than most other frozen treats. I also saw a bit on TV that talked about a thing called Yonana. It makes bananas into banana ice cream without added sugars or milk. It is expensive though and I think I will pass on getting one for $50. They say you can make this stuff in a food processor too. I don't own one of them either. I may try it with my blender. I have one of those.

That's the latest from these parts! Summer is over half over and fall is on the horizon! I can hardly wait!!!

Taking it Easy

Sorry I've been so quiet this week! It has been a busy week. I didn't weigh in last Saturday because we were out looking at houses. We've been thinking about perhaps buying a rental or maybe moving into a different house and renting out the one we live in now. All that came out of looking was that we are pretty happy where we are at and with the house we have...flaws and all.

I saw the latest episode of Extreme Makeover Weight Loss. This week had a 20 year old girl that weighed 323 pounds. She was successful at her year long weight loss journey. I think she got down to 160-something. She had a good attitude about it. One thing that really struck me was when it came time for her to qualify for "skin surgery". She showed the flappy upper arms she had. The doctor exclaimed that there was three inches flapping around and that that was all skin. Then she bent over and showed the doctor how her belly hung like a bag with a bowling ball in it. She got the surgery. I have both those issues with my skin, but I see it as more fatty than skin. I won't be getting surgery as I do believe it is considered elective surgery by the insurance companies.

I finally got back to Yoga today. I have not been there since the Monday before the 4th of July! It felt good to be back. I was alarmed that I felt not so strong. I need to work on some strength training stuff.

I am doing ok and my weight even seems to be down again. I am trying to not get my hopes up that it will be moving that way and that this plateau is finally over. I will just enjoy it while it is going that way. The best thing is that this plateau has always stayed in the 180's so I could always still say I had lost the 100 plus pounds.

I don't have much else to talk about this time and no cutsie pictures or clip art to jazz up this posting. I miss my trail walking, but the weather was too hot or now too wet to get out there. As soon as the weather turns though, you can bet you will see me out there!

Distorted Image

I still feel like I look like a big fat obese woman. I still see a stranger in the mirror when I am well dressed in a flattering outfit. I don't know if this self image stuff will ever straighten out or not. I don't know if I want it to for fear I may forget how bad I was before I got better! Only time will tell.

Speaking of distorted imaging, take a look at this yummy treat:

I love raspberry and chocolate flavored foods and just had to buy these! I thought the 70 calories sounded great! So what if it had a bit of Splenda to cut the sugar, right? Then I got my first one out. I placed one on the box, next to the picture of the treat inside:
I think they are not quite the same, don't you? No wonder they were only 70 calories! They would be more like 140 calories if they were closer to a normal size...like I thought they were. Blue Bunny Ice Cream has made me crabby. I feel cheated...again. (at least they tasted good!) The photo doesn't really do it justice unless you realize the the picture on the box is about half the size of what we think a normal ice cream treat on a stick looks like. I should have taken a photo of it next to a real ice cream type treat. Suffice it to say, even with mindful eating practices, there are only about three bites to be had on that stick! And TWO of those had you biting into the stick!!!

The heat remains in place here. It was over 80° around five this morning. Too hot to even consider going for a walk. We went to the pool instead.

That is is for today. Time to work on supper and a quilt...not necessarily in that order.

Dem's da Berries!

The phrase "Them's the berries" means that's the way it goes and ain't nothing we can do about it. I am not sure where it originated from. Today I am talking about berries though, and thought it would make for a good subject title.

Until a year or two ago, I did not realize there was a difference between blackberries and black raspberries. I was just starting out my weight loss journey and the blackberries were just coming in season and priced low. I gleefully bought some and looked forward to eating them. Imagine my surprise when the berries tasted tart and almost sour! Where was that rich luscious sweet tasting berry I recalled eating as a child?

Back in Minnesota, (near Frost, MN...yes that is a real town in the frozen north) where I grew up, we picked wild red raspberries in the woods along the river in the middle of farming country. Sometimes we found black raspberries. OH MY! Those were like finding gold! They are so sweet and mmm mmm good!

When I saw them in the store I was so excited that I would be able to have such goodness again! Well, I was sure disappointed! I thought the problem must have been that these were mass produced and not organic. I had found a few organic foods that had more flavor. I watched to see if any blackberries ever came in that were organic. When I did finally find some, I bought them and again anticipated with glee, the sweet juiciness I was going to taste. Again, bitter... literally ...a bitter tasting fruit.

Was I losing my mind? I KNOW I have had black berries that were sweet! I got online and looked up black raspberries and that is when I found out there IS a difference between them and blackberries.
The blackberries are on the left and the black raspberries are on the right. The easiest way to tell them apart is that the raspberries are cored out and are kind of like little hats. Oh, and there is such a thing as a sweeter tasting blackberry. Our relatives from Canada brought some down one year, that they picked near where they lived. THOSE were sweeter than any I have ever bought at a store. They still were not as good as black raspberries though.

I still prefer most berries that are organically grown. They just seem to have a better flavor 90% of the time. I have gotten very picky about my berries too! I most often buy strawberries. Driscoll's supplies most of the strawberries in this area. Do you know how to spot the organics fast? Look at the labels!
The green Driscoll's label on strawberries, blueberries, and others will be the organic ones.

These yellow labels on the strawberries mean they are not organic.

The prices currently are $3.99 for a 16 ounce box of organic strawberries and for the same price you get two boxes of non-organic strawberries. I have been counting how many strawberries are in a 16oz. box and they run from 16-25 berries, depending on size of the berry, in each container. That means they are between .25 and .16 for each individual berry. You get between two and four servings of berries, from $1.00 to $2.00 per serving, depending on how you measure them. Why am I talking prices? Mostly to hit home that though strawberries are really good for us, they are really expensive too. I do not feel bad for taking several LONG minutes to check out each and every box to find the best one for my money! I used to feel somewhat foolish. However, now that I know just how much that under ripe one costs as well as the odd moldy one, I am a LOT more picky! And woe be unto a bagger if they bruise my strawberries!!! I often use the self checkout and bag my own groceries, just so I can protect my investment. The baggers don't mean to do wrong, but they are not paying for MY produce. I am, and I am going to be picky.
By the way, I love strawberries and yogurt for dessert. Sometimes I will add a bit of sugar or Agave syrup for a sweeter treat. Not too much as I do not want to ever come close to looking like this person:

Seriously? Pull your pants up! This would be a great advertisement against sugary sweets. The photo is from a site that has pictures taken at real Walmart stores all over the country. The way some people dress is appalling! No wonder fat people get ostracised. So many of us dress so badly!

That's it for today folks. I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July!