Week 11, Day 4

A mile walk today with Little Man in his stroller. I wish he lived closer so I could do that every day! Coming over here to visit is so good for me -- gives me the added boost to keep going in the weight loss and fitness goals.

I saw the pictures that were taken yesterday and I do NOT look good. Terrible double chin when I look down -- like a whole other face beneath my chin! And my lower half is still huge. It's kind of depressing, but I like knowing I'm getting rid of this. I'm turning 50 in March, and I want to be under 200 pounds by then. That gives me 37 pounds to lose in 4 months. It's a good goal.

Like most of America, we had leftovers for dinner today. Unfortunately, by the time the green beans got to me, the bowl was empty. So I had ham with a tiny daub of cranberry sauce on top. Mom served pie for dessert, and I didn't say no since pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving is a favorite. But I regretted it and ended up leaving half of it on my plate. I think that's a big step, though. I grew up with parents who insisted I clean my plate. Leaving food (especially dessert) and walking away feels almost like a sin. Like God Himself is going to punish me. But I am at the place now where I'm okay with stepping away. Next step will be at Christmas and just flat out saying no to dessert. I don't have it normally in my life, and I will not indulge at Christmas. I had my splurge at Thanksgiving, so I'm okay with it.

Today's Tip:
This tip seems especially relevant since I have trouble sticking with my diet when I come visit my parents and Mom has such good food. This is from Jillian Michael's newsletter. Go to www.JillianMichaels.com to subscrbe. It's free, and you can't beat advice from a trainer like her! So here it is: Many of my contestants on the The Biggest Loser have this problem: Moms, dads, brothers, sisters, husbands, and wives always push food on them. I tell them exactly what I'm telling you: Acknowledge these behaviors. Recognize the problems, sit the people in question down, and let them know that you are trying to lose weight and be healthy. Tell them how they can help and support you. Chances are they'll want to help and will be willing to learn new recipes so that they can cook for you without sabotaging your health and happiness.

Week 11, Day 3

Great holiday with Little Man. We watched Fraggle Rock and cuddled. And in those moments neither of us were distracted by the fact that the house was full of family. What a lovely time! Had a great day with the family, too. Kids, parents, sister, niece, her kids. It was quite memorable. Wonderful food, too. And yes, I did eat a sliver of pumpkin pie. But I feel like the rest of the meal was overall quite healthy -- healthier in total than any other holiday meal I remember ever. To prepare, I promised myself ahead of time I would only take small portions and I wouldn't do second helpings -- and I kept my promises.

I was pleased at what appealed to me today. I made a totally healthy green bean side dish and ate a hearty helping. (The rest of the family seemed to like it, too!) My daughter-in-heart prepared some wonderful rosemary potatoes (she's a fabulous cook). And I ate a slice of ham. I had some dressing with dinner, too, since it was Thanksgiving. In all years past -- as many as I can remember -- the dressing was about the best part of the meal. I LOVED dressing, particularly Stove Top Stuffing. But this time the dressing seemed to have no flavor other than way too much salt. I was glad I only got a tablespoon of it, because otherwise I would have left it on my plate. (I was glad, too, that I was the one who brought it so I didn't end up hurting anyone's feelings.) I skipped the cranberry sauce, too, since it has so much sugar in it. All in all, I felt really good about dinner. And I loved the time with family, all of us gathered around the table. I feel very blessed.

I haven't had any exercise today. I'm hoping that later on Adam and I will go out for a walk. And I brought my resistance bands with me so I can do some work with those before bed. Adam questioned my desire to exercise on Thanksgiving. But I told him that the process goes on, regardless of what day it is. Living healthy is not a burden. It is a requirement so I can live, and it is a joy to know I'm on the right track and doing a positive thing.

I hope you ALL had a wonderful day and took time to remember the blessings of life. Thank you ALL for being a part of my journey!

Week 11, Day 1 and 2

Drats, no weight lost last week. But nothing gained, either. So I still sit at a 22 pound loss. That's a great way to go into Thanksgiving! We're headed to Iowa again, and since I'm bringing most of the meal with me, I get to choose healthy stuff. Wooohoo!

I didn't do much exercise yesterday. I've been so very tired and bloated. I'm guessing that's Mother Nature giving me her monthly bitch slap. And that could explain the lack of weight loss---could be water retention since my whole body seems completely bloated. I'll keep doing my best and see what next week brings on the scales. I got up early today and have already put in a half a mile of walking and some arm exercises. I'll get on the bike later. The next couple of days of playing with Little Man ought to take care of some major calorie burning, too.

Yesterday and today's food log: sandwich, egg, bowl of cereal (all yesterday), chefs salad, yogurt, and oatmeal (today).

I'm cooking the tomorrow's meat today and making the green beans (steamed, mushrooms, oregano, shallots, and garnished with a few almonds and a very light dusting of parmesan cheese). So tomororw all we have to do is heat it up. My parents asked for cranberry sauce, and they like the crappy canned jellied kind. I used to love that stuff, but now it seems to be quite a way from being real food. But that's okay. One time a year I can meet such a simple request from people who ask so little. The kids want dressing, and I'm bringing that, too. I won't eat any of it, but again, one time a year it's okay to put on the table.


Today's Tip:
I can't think of a better tip than encouraging gratitude. This day before Thanksgiving is a reminder, of course. But each day we need to be grateful for the blessings we have. Every person who has walked into our lives with kindness and love. Another day with the opportunity to do likewise for someone else. A roof over our head and clothes on our back. The freedom to say what we want, go where we desire, and worship as we see fit. And chocolate. I'm extremely grateful for everyone who reads this blog, too. It amazes me that you care and encourages me to keep moving forward if doing so helps you in any way. God bless you, and may you have a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Week 10, Day 7

One of the things I'm doing to offset the potential weight gain this week is shopping for Thursday a little bit each day and walking for at least an hour at the grocery store. I'm also making sure I always use the bathroom upstairs -- the climb up the stairs several extra times each day is bound to help.

I really like the activity and find that I'm getting antsy if I I don't get up, get out, and do something for my fitness each day. What a change from the sedentary soul I was a few months ago!

I've noticed, too, that my back is not hurting nearly as much as it did and my asthma symptoms are tremendously reduced. I still don't go out without my inhaler, but I only use it a few times a week instead of several times a day. The next 20 pounds gone will make an even bigger difference. I'm looking forward to it!

Today's food an exercise: cereal, sandwich, a bag of frozen peas and carrots, walking, arm work with weights and resistance bands, leg lifts.


Today's Tip:
I don't eat sugar on my cereal or oatmeal anymore. I use stevia or just let the food go naked if I can. But I miss the sweetness! Here's a tip I use (it works!) from The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle: Try adding sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to your favorite smoothies, cereal, yogurt, and even coffee or tea drinks. Not only do they add a delicious, sweet-spicy flavor, but they also contain antioxidants.

Week 10, Day 6

Someone brought us a pumpkin pie yesterday. They don't know I'm on a diet, and they meant well I'm sure. But I don't know what to do with it. It won't last until Thursday. And not eating it seems like a rude reaction to the kindness. But of course, eating it isn't good for my diet and I don't want to justify doing something bad for myself. What do normal people do about quandries like this? I have to learn or I won't stay thin once I lose all this weight. Right now I don't have a clue. Not an earthshaking problem, of course. But pumpkin pie is my favorite. Almost makes me want to cry right now.

Otherwise I've done okay today. I got in a half mile walk before breakfast. Seems kind of wimpy since Danny and Sean from the Biggest Loser show have both just completed full marathons. But it's the best I can do right now, and I was glad to have done it before anything else today. I've also done work with weights for my arms and some leg lifts. I've eaten okay today, too. The usual. I tend to fall into a rut with my eating. Probably one of the reasons I that contributed to my getting fat -- I fell into the wrong ruts before. Hopefully my ruts are better these days.

Today's Tip:
Processed foods are a huge contributor to weight problems. One suggestion I came across to combat this is to use the Rule of 5 -- if a package of food has more than 5 ingredients in it, steer clear of it. You want to eat food as close to its natural form as possible. Besides how do things like xantham gum, red dye with any number, natural flavors (shouldn't the food have its own "natural flavor"?), butylene glycol, or tartrazine help your health? More and more evidence has shown that many of the additives are actually bad for us -- red dyes, high fructose corn syrup, MSG -- the list keeps getting longer. Eat real food!

Week 10, Day 4 and 5

I shouldn't feel this way, but I do. I'm tired, sore, discouraged, and as hungry as if I hadn't eaten for a month. What's wrong with me? The weather is good enough that I should have gobs of vim and vigor. And yet here I sit...completely inactive.

Yesterday was a mixed bag, and it was so busy I forgot to come here and write a post until it was like 2 o'clock in the morning -- far too late for me to be writing something that should have some kind of coherent thoughts.

Here's the run down on the exercise: I biked for about 20 minutes first thing when I got up, and it felt good. Then I picked up a little around the house. Mid-afternoon we went to run errands at Whole Foods and the mall. I walked around Whole Foods a bit to get some more exercise. Then at the mall I got so tied up in trying to find a parking space that I forgot which store I needed to go to, and I ended up parking at the opposite end from where I needed to be. It's not a huge mall, but for me it was a lot of walking and I was really sore by the time we got back to the car. Then when we got home, I did more picking up around the house and got down on my hands and knees to spot scrub several doggie stains on the carpet. By the time I dropped into bed, I was in pain and exhausted. I'm guessing it was a "good" pain, in that it was evidence that I actually got up and around far more than I've been used to in a long time. But man...it has me stiff, sore, and tired. And, sadly, I haven't done very much today.

I've eaten well both days and was really pleased with the difference at the mall. Fast food places that a few months ago would have tempted me sorely just didn't have any appeal or pull for me at all. Changing my eating patterns, I think, is one of the hardest parts of dieting, and I was pleased to see that I have made some progress in that area. However, today I would kill for a chocolate chip cookie. Or an eclair. Yeah, that's it, I've wanted an eclair for a couple of days. Yogurt will just have to do.

The depressing part of yesterday was when I was sitting for a bit to rest on the way to the store I needed to go to. Across the corridor was a dark glass, and I could see my reflection. I realize maybe it distorted things a bit, but I did NOT like what I saw. I'm losing weight, I'm toning up, but I still look absolutely huge. It was completely disheartening. I know this takes time, but still...I wanted to sit there and cry. I don't FEEL like a fat person. I know I'm fat. But it is still jarring and depressing to have that visual image of the awful truth. It's times like this that it would be so easy to just give up -- it's taking too long, I don't have the patience to wait months and months until my body finally looks like it should. And I hate myself for letting me get to this point. Why did I do it? Why didn't I stop myself a long time ago? Now I'm stuck with this hellish looking body and stuck with pain and stuck with being tired. And I hate it. I guess that's what propels me forward -- it would drive me nuts to think I'd have to stay this way forever. Ugh.

Today's Tip:
As we become "me" focused in the weight loss journey, we have to remember to purposefully reach out to help others (not necessarily weigh loss oriented). Here's an opportunity. A friend of mine asked me to help spread the word about a special promotion that will benefit the March of Dimes. The radio station she works for is helping with this, so I KNOW it's legitimate. It's really easy, too, and it's great fun for the holidays. Plus, you can't beat helping a cause like the March of Dimes! Will you please help spread the word?

Here's the program: Get a text message from Santa for $5.49 on your phone (or your child's phone) and $1 of it goes to the March of Dimes. The top 3 markets also get a nice donation. Here is the link: http://omaha.textsanta.net/ Won't you please take a look and consider this for a kid in your life? And again, please help spread the word so even more money can be raised for the March of Dimes! Thank you!!!!

Week 10, Day 3

Used to be I'd send Adam into a store if he was shopping for something for himself or if there were only one or two things to get. I had neither the energy nor the lung capacity to accompany him. The past couple of days we've gone and run errands the better part of each day, and I've gone with him everywhere. Just one more bit of evidence that I'm making progress.

Did some walking today and some work on my arms. I'm going to get on the bike for a few minutes in a little while. I've had two sandwiches to eat and a small Orange Julius. And loads of water. I've finally gotten to the point where water is really very refreshing and I no longer have to force each glass down or even keep track of them.

Today's Tip:
I read a book today titled In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, by Michael Pollan. Man, this guy is good! It's an easy read but chock full of good information. It will change the way you shop forever, but without any effort. You will simply never look at food the same way again.

Week 10, Day 2

I bought a new pair of jeans today. My other pair had become annoyingly baggy and required far too often that I pull them up to keep them from falling off. Next step is to not have to shop in the fat people's section of the store. I have a ways to go to get there, but six months from now I'll be a different person. And that's why I only bought one pair of jeans today -- I'll slim out of these before they ever wear out. :)

I also finally broke my addiction to cola. It's been awhile since I've had any. But today I got caught at the mall with a sudden asthma episode, and I know a quick jolt of Coke or Pepsi will take the edge off and help the rescue inhaler. Oh my, what a completely awful experience! The taste was horrid, the sweetness was way beyond what I can tolerate now, and the caffeine made me so instantly jittery I thought I'd jump completely out of my skin. I ended up throwing the rest of it away. Ewww. No more cola for me unless I get stuck needing it for asthma again.

Only one more week until we go to Iowa for Thanksgiving...and for me to play with Little Man, of course. I'm going to work extra hard this week to make sure I have the stamina to keep up with this energetic 18-month old.

I had my usual sandwich today and a bowl of cereal. I have a new favorite cereal, but I can't find it everywhere. It's by Cascadian Farm, and it's called Flax Right with pomegranate, cranberry, and raspberry juice clusters. It's organic and has whole grain wheat, rice, corn meal, whole oats, flax seeds, and cane juice instead of other sugars or high fructose corn syrup. The cereal looks like Chex brand, but it's very dense and filling, and I'm really pleased with how tasty it is. I highly recommend it.

Today's Tip:
A reader asked me if I knew of a good calorie counter. I recommend the The CalorieKing Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter 2010. There's also a calorie counter by Biggest Loser that's a great book, but it's a few years old. Since the Calorie King is updated each year with restaurants as well as grocery store food info, I prefer it. With over 14,000 foods, both brand name and generic, you can't beat it. A great feature is the "book-within-a-book" with a Fast Food and Restaurant Chain section, listing menu items from 200 chains - more than any other counter!

Sliante!

Week 10, Day 1

After 9 weeks, I have hit a 22 pound loss. That's about 20 percent of my total goal. I have a long way to go, but somehow hitting this mark makes me really believe rest of it is possible. My sub-goal now is to drop another 10 pounds by Christmas.

My appetite is still down with this stupid cold I can't seem to get rid of. But I have managed to eat over the course of the day a footlong from Subway -- turkey breast, ham, green peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce. 600 calories. And a cookie because I've been a good girl.

Today's Tip:
Eat This, Not That on the Men's Health website as a slideshow of the 39 Healthiest Foods in America. You can get to it here: Men's Health

Bon apetit!

Week 9, Day 5 and 6

Full blown fever, fatigue, aches, and all kinds of gunk in my head. Ugh. The past couple of days I've been mostly in bed sleeping. I did manage to get in about 30 minutes each day in exercising. A little biking, a little walking, a little weight work with my arms. I've had about 2 liters of water. I managed to keep down a sandwich each day, just to make sure I ate something. And lots of sleep. The good news is that I weighed myself, and I've lost two pounds. The silver lining.

Today's Tip:
I saw on one of my water bottles something really encouraging for those of us who are soda pop addicts. A 12 ounce sugared beverage ... pop, fruit juice, whatever...has about 140 calories. Replacing one sugared drink a day with water, and you've trimmed over 50,000 calories a year from your diet. I did the math for a 20 ounce bottle of Sprite, and the figures are even more stunning. A 20 ounce bottle has 240 calories. Removing one bottle of Sprite (or similar soda pop) a day from your diet saves you over 87,000 calories a year. That's like 25 pounds GONE! Amazing!

Now I'm going back to bed. I'm such a wimp. ::sigh::