Murphy is a Dirty Rat Fink, Week 27, Day 3

I'm pretty well convinced that Murphy is a jerk, and he and his nefarious Law can both take a flying leap off a short pier. Dad's surgery was a resounding success, and for that I'm truly grateful, but this past week I've taken Dad to a doctor nearly every day to deal with one complication after another. Rampant diarrhea, thrush, severe allergic reaction to meds to treat thrush --with the allergies causing oozing nasty itchy pustules all over, painful gout, swelling because of the allergic reaction and because he can't get up and walk because of the gout, breathing problems because of the swelling and because he's now out of shape from inactivity -- it just never stops. Yup, Murphy is an evil jerk.

It keeps me hopping, though, and reduces the appetite. So I guess I'm the beneficiary of some sort of twisted silver lining. Plus, to get out of the house for a bit of stress-reduction today, I went out for some walking and ran some errands. I walked at the store with a cart to get some distance and speed, and I walked at the town square on my own to get some stamina. I ate a few cheese ravioli for breakfast, a banana for lunch, and a pork chop and peas for dinner.

Today's Tip:
MSN is reporting that McDonald's is lowering the price of their soda pop in time for summer to boost sales. The article says, "Forget about worries about soft-drinks and obesity. Sell a product at a low enough price and the masses will come." What an appalling thing to say! Wall Street Journal is reporting that McDonald's is hoping the new pricing strategy will help introduce customers to their new beverage offerings, including smoothies and frappes -- all high calorie, by the way. Don't let a cheap price lure you in to this or any other trap! Regardless of how attractive a price may be, remember how UNattractive you will be if you give in to this grab for your money! Stay strong and keep making WISE choices!

Where's My Irish Walking Stick? Week 27, Day 2

What a lovely day and very inspiring for getting out and walking! I'm Irish, I'm much more fit than I was, and I'm happy. And a very Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, too! I ate well today -- yogurt for breakfast, chicken wrap for lunch, 1/4 of a Subway BLT (no mayo) for dinner. I did do some walking. I'm not sure how much since I don't have my pedometer with me, but it was enough to feel good. I'm really pleased with how much more I can do than I used to. And with the weather being so awesome, I'm all the more energized.

Today's Tip:
Yesterday I talked about how to easily trim 100 calories from your diet. But what does 100 calories look like? According to a Prevention Magazine online video, 100 calories is 20 cups of lettuce. Or 5 cups of broccoli. Or 2 cups cubed melon. Or 1 cup seedless grapes. Wanna see the video? Check it out here (be sure to hit the "back" button on your browser and let me know what you think of the Prevention Magazine video!): Videos

Headed the Right Way, Week 27, Day 1

So anyway, turns out I did have time to weigh myself today when I stopped by to see Adam, and I now weigh a measley 207. Okay, so 207 isn't exactly svelte. But it's 52 pounds slimmer than when I started 27 weeks ago, so I'll go ahead and accept it. :) I'm quite certain that barring miraculous intervention by God or some devastating illness, which by the way, I do NOT want, I will not make it to my goal of 184 pounds by March 27. But if I stay diligent, I''m pretty sure I'll get under 200 pounds. It's just 11 days from now -- and I have 8 pounds to lose. I'll have to make sure I work hard and watch every bite that crosses my lips. But I want this a lot, so I'm gonna try really hard. Cheer me on? Please?

I got some pretty good walking in today. Doctors appointments for Dad, some shopping, aisle-walking while waiting for prescriptions to be filled. He took us to a buffet for late lunch / early dinner, and I loaded up on salad and dinner veggies. Since that was mid-afternoon, I was hungry late in the evening and had a bowl of yogurt. So I think overall I ate pretty reasonably today.

Little Man gave me a kiss for the first time the night before last and another one tonight. With all that's been going on with Dad's health lately and nearly losing him, receiving my first kiss as a grandma was the perfect medicine to renew this lady's soul. Little Man is beginning potty training this week, too. Should I feel ...weird... that potty training and kissing his grandma for the first time are both happening in the same week? haha!!! Eh...I'll just focus on the kiss and be proud of him for his progress in the potty training and forget about the synchronicity. :)

Today's Tip:
Looking for ways to easily cut 100 calories from your diet? Woman's Health magazine tells how. Here are ways to cut calories at the drive-thru:

• Pass up a Wendy's baked potato with sour cream and chives and chow down on value fries instead.
Amazing but true.
• Have a McDonald's cheeseburger instead of a Quarter Pounder with cheese.
• Downsize your drink: Trade a large fountain soda (with ice) for a medium.
• Go for grill marks. Order a flame-broiled chicken sandwich rather than one that's breaded (and usually fried in oil).
• Treat yourself to an ice-cream cone at McDonald's instead of Dairy Queen.
• Crunch on one Taco Bell regular taco instead of a Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco. And all the hot sauce you want.
• Slurp a cup of Panera Bread's low-fat chicken noodle soup instead of the cream of chicken with wild rice.
• Make your daily pick-me-up at Starbucks a skinny vanilla latte, not a regular.

To get more tips from Woman's Health, including ways to cut 100 calories at breakfast, at lunch, on your snack break, in the kitchen, and more, visit here >>>
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/cut-100-calories?cat=12597&tip=12594

Shhh....The Sidewalks Have Rolled Up for the Night, Week 26, Day 7

Did I really grow up in small towns? Surely not! If so, what happened to me? There seems to be NOTHING to do in this little burg! I've spent a couple of weeks taking care of my parents nearly non-stop, so tonight I stepped out for about an hour to get some fresh air and do something fun just for me. But I was at a loss. A quick spin around the town square told me nothing was going on there unless I was an avid drinker. A trip down Broadway finally convinced me that the only other thing to do in town was stop by the supermarket and get a walk in. It's a small store, but at least a few trips up and down each aisle gave me a bit of work on my fitness. I haven't done enough since being over here in Iowa, and my back has been paying the price. The past few days it has been excruciatingly painful to get out of bed. So I think I'm going to try to make time each day to head to the store and walk, even if it's only a little time. Beats sitting around watching Fox News for hours with Mom and Dad ( I love them, but really…Fox News ALL day? ). Yeehaw. I’m glad to be here, though. I wouldn’t trade this time for anything. Makes me grateful for family and the blessing of being in one that has always pulled together when needed.

Dad and I head over to Omaha tomorrow for another doctor's appointment. We had one today, too, but it was here in town. I'm eager to get to the city because I'll get to see Adam for a few minutes. I've missed him! This is the longest I've ever gone without seeing him. I've loved seeing First Son, Wifey, and Little Man every day, but I do so very much miss Adam. I hope he's ready for a huge, HUGE hug!

Tomorrow is weigh-in day, too. I'm not sure if I'll have time to fit that in or not. Mom and Dad don't have a reliable scale here, and I don't know if we'll have time tomorrow for me to only stop long enough to give Adam and squeeze and then run off to the drs appt or if I'll have time to pop in and weigh myself, too. I don't know that it matters -- I'm pretty sure I haven't lost anything.

TODAY’S TIP:
Oh my goodness, you definitely gotta have friends! Not just for the rough times in life, but because you’re not always going to find yourself in the most exciting venues on the planet. Surely if I could have called a friend to go for a walk with me tonight, or to just play a game of cards with or chat for an hour, it would have been a more pleasant evening. And certainly workouts and diets are a whole lot more fun when done with a friend!

Staying on Track, Week 26, Day 6

I've managed to make a Subway footlong last four days. Not something I planned on. I just haven't been hungry. A bowl of cream of wheat in the morning, a few bites of sandwich in the evenings seems to suit me fine. I did add a half cup of yogurt this evening. Now if I can add a bit more exercise, I'll be doing okay. I haven't really done any more than just generally taking care of the folks. Cooking, laundry, cleaning, running errands, transporting to doctors appointments, etc. No actual exercise. I need to get more disciplined to stay on track. I've got my resistance bands with me and can do leg lifts. I'm just tired in the evenings, and I hit the ground running in the mornings. Yup, need more discipline in order to get some real exercise in. I can't let my weight loss journey be derailed after I've come so far.

Company came yesterday. Dad's 90 year old best friend in the whole wide world (besides Mom, of course) came to spend the afternoon. It was great to hear the old stories. We think the world is rough and tumble these days, but hearing the stories, I'm pretty sure they had a pretty ornery bunch around the streets 75 years or so ago!

It cheered Dad up to have his buddy come. But he's spent the day in bed today. It's still going to be a few days before he can go out walking with me. And Mom fell the other evening. Clearly, they both still have a ways to go on the road to recovery. I planned on staying here in Iowa for 2 weeks, but it's beginning to look like it will be longer. Those of you who are praying people, please keep us on your list.

I've enjoyed seeing Little Man each day. He's speaking now. Sort of. He definitely has a vocabulary, but only he knows what he's saying. And he has the rosiest cheeks -- like a cherub in a picture. Of course, when he gets tired, his behavior is anything but cherubic. But he's still my little angel. I hope as he gets older he never remembers Fat Oma, only the new skinny me I'm working on developing. :)

Today's Tip:

My friend Sandra recommends this site: SparkPeople.com I haven't checked it out thoroughly, but it looks pretty good so far. She found it while looking for a gumbo recipe. Not only do they have recipes, but they have diet tips, nutrition and wellness info, videos, motivation, and more. Check it out!