Thursday, April 30, 2009
Ouchilicious
I have invented a new word to describe how I feel this morning- ouchilicious. Ouch in the fact that my leg muscles and butt muscles are still very sore, and licious as in delicious as I know from past experiences that building muscle, like healing and growth, is a painful process. Yesterday I really , really wanted to claim a rest day , but instead I used the EFT Tapping techniques to motivate myself to just get up and do it.
How do you do EFT Tapping ? Basically you determine how you feel about a thing, create a statement that accepts your feelings and yourself, and then tap on certain acupressure points while saying affirmations. First one is the side of the hand- where you would hit for a karate chop, then the outside of the eyebrows, ,outside of the eyes, under the middle of the eyes, under the nose, on the chin under the mouth, on the collarbone , under the arms and then on the top of the head. Statements sound something like "even though I am tired and hate the thought of exercising, I completely love and accept myself." and then "I enjoy the way my body feels because I move to burn fat" and so forth. It looks very silly, but it works. If you would like to learn more about this technique and how to try it for yourself, click here to be taken to Gary Craig's website for a free manual and instructions.
So I am sore, but happy that I pushed through the feeling and accomplished yet another day of my goals.
Breakfast yesterday was pumpkin oatmeal once again with olive oil, ground flax, wheat bran and crasins, apple, lemon water, Yo Plus and green tea on the side. I was going to try to create a different pattern in the bowl with the toppings, but they kind of just fell. I debated not taking a picture because they wound up looking sort of like Phallic Oats to me. Now there is food porn in the world, but.....
For lunch we had homemade Minestrone soup with a ton of veggies, wasa crispbread with baby swiss cheese,celery sticks, baby carrots, yo plus, an apple and sparkling water with pomegrannate juice.I forgot how much I love Wasa crisp breads ! It is probably my most favorite cracker of all time.
Dinner was marinated chicken breast ( balsamic vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, parsley , oregano and olive oil) corn and green beans. I was going to make Heartland Pasta but when I went into the freezer I found we have enough corn to feed a catered party of football players, so decided I better use that instead. For some reason his brand tasted incredibly sweet in a natural way.Lemon water on the side.
Through the day there was green tea and nettle tea and lots and lots of water as usual. When I was feeling really achy in the aftrnoon I was very tempted to make a cup of instant coffee, but I tapped away the craving. Actually it was more the desire for pain relif than a lift, but I reminded myself that Tylemol would do the same function and not put stress on my adrenals. One day down, many more to go !
How do you do EFT Tapping ? Basically you determine how you feel about a thing, create a statement that accepts your feelings and yourself, and then tap on certain acupressure points while saying affirmations. First one is the side of the hand- where you would hit for a karate chop, then the outside of the eyebrows, ,outside of the eyes, under the middle of the eyes, under the nose, on the chin under the mouth, on the collarbone , under the arms and then on the top of the head. Statements sound something like "even though I am tired and hate the thought of exercising, I completely love and accept myself." and then "I enjoy the way my body feels because I move to burn fat" and so forth. It looks very silly, but it works. If you would like to learn more about this technique and how to try it for yourself, click here to be taken to Gary Craig's website for a free manual and instructions.
So I am sore, but happy that I pushed through the feeling and accomplished yet another day of my goals.
Breakfast yesterday was pumpkin oatmeal once again with olive oil, ground flax, wheat bran and crasins, apple, lemon water, Yo Plus and green tea on the side. I was going to try to create a different pattern in the bowl with the toppings, but they kind of just fell. I debated not taking a picture because they wound up looking sort of like Phallic Oats to me. Now there is food porn in the world, but.....
For lunch we had homemade Minestrone soup with a ton of veggies, wasa crispbread with baby swiss cheese,celery sticks, baby carrots, yo plus, an apple and sparkling water with pomegrannate juice.I forgot how much I love Wasa crisp breads ! It is probably my most favorite cracker of all time.
Dinner was marinated chicken breast ( balsamic vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, parsley , oregano and olive oil) corn and green beans. I was going to make Heartland Pasta but when I went into the freezer I found we have enough corn to feed a catered party of football players, so decided I better use that instead. For some reason his brand tasted incredibly sweet in a natural way.Lemon water on the side.Through the day there was green tea and nettle tea and lots and lots of water as usual. When I was feeling really achy in the aftrnoon I was very tempted to make a cup of instant coffee, but I tapped away the craving. Actually it was more the desire for pain relif than a lift, but I reminded myself that Tylemol would do the same function and not put stress on my adrenals. One day down, many more to go !
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Articles on adrenal stress and caffeine
Sore and blind sided
Feeling sort of physically sore and a little blindsided this morning. Yesterday was a very good say in regards to eating and exercise. I did Wii fit in the morning for 20 minutes ( I love Megatroid- she says I am 34 when I am actually 50), then out for a walk, then played Wii Tennis, bowling and bags with my son in the afternoon, and then got a short walk with my hubby after dinner. My thigh muscles must have reverted to their former toast condition quickly , because they were feeling like lead by evening's end . I think watching Biggest Loser while sore from your own workouts is a respectable activity.
Eating has gone well. No soda, no coffee, and really loving the alternative drinks I have chosen. Water with lemon is very thirst quenching , plus an extra vitamin C hit during this time when flu threatens. Green Tea is nice as well as another tea, nettle. It is not as common of a drink in this country as it is in Europe, and it is a shame. Nettles help to nourish your adrenal glands, provide iron to your body and do a host of other good things. For women in peri and full menopause, it is a very good herb to make friends with.
Meals were good as well
Breakfast was my good friend pumpkin oats with 2 T ground flax, 1 T Gogi berries ( helps your liver) 4 dried figs chopped ( sweet, and fiber boost as well as vitamins and minerals)1 T wheat bran ( to thicken as well as add fiber, 1 T coconut for sweetening and good fat ( for thyroid) and 1 tsp olive oil. With it I also had an orange, Yo plus Digestive Yogert , lemon water and green tea. Yum !
Lunch was another favorite here- an Arnolds Thin Sandwich bun with turkey breas and baby swiss accompanied by All Bran crackers, celery, carrots, an apple and more Yo Plus. Nettle tea to wash it down - very smooth flavor. By the way, nettles are those stinging nettles that you brush against and get red welts. The ouch comes from fine hairs that the plant is covered with that dissapear when the plant is dried. Nettle looks kind of stressed when it is in full bloom, which gives a clue as to what it is good for.
Dinner was simple and delicious- crocpot turkey black bean chili over brown rice. Take a pound of ground turkey and brown it with a large yellow onion and dump it in a crock pot. Add 2 cups cooked butternut squash, a can of black beans rinsed, a large jar of your favorite salsa and 3 T Hersheys dark cocoa powder. Chocolate in chili ? You bet. Chocolate combined with almost any member of the pepper family has a synergistic affect that serves to give you a little lift as well as a really richer tasting chili. It's a real yum ! I seved it over brown rice to make it very filling with lemon water on the side.
In the afternoon I had done two more webinars as part of the EFT world summit ( Emotional Freedom Technique) and they were about uncovering what you truely value and reaching your goals. I chose to focus on my weight loss journey as a goal and I did the exercises. I am finding that EFT does not deliver instantanious results, which is why many belive it does not work. However, the work you do will come to manifest in your mind , or take root, at the time you let your guard down so to speak. During your sleep. It was aided by a discussion hubby and I were having about being overweight during the show. My hubby is my best girlfriend along with being a wonderful husband. I can and have talked about absolutely anything with him under the sun and he listens, thinks and helps me to do so rather than jump in to solve things for me.Through these events my mind connected the dots and I have come to realize that I am still dealing with an ancient "head tape" that was given to me in childhood, but manifested in a totally different way. While it is no longer causing me to eat for emotional reasons, it may be causing my subconcious mind to work hard to manifest an erronious belif about myself as a result. Didn't see that one coming, and if it is a factor, Damn, I am good at self sabotage ! I may be a total genius in that area. Sadly, ,the world does not offer career opportunities at this time for that kind of genius, and it harms me so I will have to lose that behavior. But what a powerful reminder of how potent this grey wrinkly organ between our ears really is !
Eating has gone well. No soda, no coffee, and really loving the alternative drinks I have chosen. Water with lemon is very thirst quenching , plus an extra vitamin C hit during this time when flu threatens. Green Tea is nice as well as another tea, nettle. It is not as common of a drink in this country as it is in Europe, and it is a shame. Nettles help to nourish your adrenal glands, provide iron to your body and do a host of other good things. For women in peri and full menopause, it is a very good herb to make friends with.
Meals were good as well
Breakfast was my good friend pumpkin oats with 2 T ground flax, 1 T Gogi berries ( helps your liver) 4 dried figs chopped ( sweet, and fiber boost as well as vitamins and minerals)1 T wheat bran ( to thicken as well as add fiber, 1 T coconut for sweetening and good fat ( for thyroid) and 1 tsp olive oil. With it I also had an orange, Yo plus Digestive Yogert , lemon water and green tea. Yum !
Lunch was another favorite here- an Arnolds Thin Sandwich bun with turkey breas and baby swiss accompanied by All Bran crackers, celery, carrots, an apple and more Yo Plus. Nettle tea to wash it down - very smooth flavor. By the way, nettles are those stinging nettles that you brush against and get red welts. The ouch comes from fine hairs that the plant is covered with that dissapear when the plant is dried. Nettle looks kind of stressed when it is in full bloom, which gives a clue as to what it is good for.
Dinner was simple and delicious- crocpot turkey black bean chili over brown rice. Take a pound of ground turkey and brown it with a large yellow onion and dump it in a crock pot. Add 2 cups cooked butternut squash, a can of black beans rinsed, a large jar of your favorite salsa and 3 T Hersheys dark cocoa powder. Chocolate in chili ? You bet. Chocolate combined with almost any member of the pepper family has a synergistic affect that serves to give you a little lift as well as a really richer tasting chili. It's a real yum ! I seved it over brown rice to make it very filling with lemon water on the side.In the afternoon I had done two more webinars as part of the EFT world summit ( Emotional Freedom Technique) and they were about uncovering what you truely value and reaching your goals. I chose to focus on my weight loss journey as a goal and I did the exercises. I am finding that EFT does not deliver instantanious results, which is why many belive it does not work. However, the work you do will come to manifest in your mind , or take root, at the time you let your guard down so to speak. During your sleep. It was aided by a discussion hubby and I were having about being overweight during the show. My hubby is my best girlfriend along with being a wonderful husband. I can and have talked about absolutely anything with him under the sun and he listens, thinks and helps me to do so rather than jump in to solve things for me.Through these events my mind connected the dots and I have come to realize that I am still dealing with an ancient "head tape" that was given to me in childhood, but manifested in a totally different way. While it is no longer causing me to eat for emotional reasons, it may be causing my subconcious mind to work hard to manifest an erronious belif about myself as a result. Didn't see that one coming, and if it is a factor, Damn, I am good at self sabotage ! I may be a total genius in that area. Sadly, ,the world does not offer career opportunities at this time for that kind of genius, and it harms me so I will have to lose that behavior. But what a powerful reminder of how potent this grey wrinkly organ between our ears really is !
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Life sucks, so change it up !
So what do you do when the going gets tough and you don't like the scenery ? Change it up ! Switch things around and add some new elements. And that is exactly what I am doing. I figure that if by some freakish chance that I have become a target for all of the lost weight floating around in the universe, then if I move and act differently it will no longer be able to find me.
One change I made is dropping coffee. (cue chorus of violins playing very sad songs). I have dropped it a couple of times in the past and it did make the scale move in the right direction, but I chose not to believe it to be the real problem and went back to it within a month. I blame Dunkin Donuts for this one. When I was 18 I worked the graveyard shift as a baker for Mister Donut ( a small donut shop in competition). There I learned how to handle yeast dough and an appreciation of serious coffee. When Dunkin Donuts started selling theirs to the public, it was more than I could resist. I have quit that cold turkey ( from drinking a whole pot every day) to embracing green tea. Why green tea ? If I am going to give up something bad for me I must replace it with something very good. Green tea is loaded with antioxidents and other good things. Plus, it seems to keep me from getting coffee withdrawl.
Second move is no diet sodas. These have not proven to be a factor in my weight loss stalls in the past, but you never know. I tend to drink 2 a day, but those two add up in the terms of cost, waste and exposure to strange chemicals. Instead we have switched to water with lemon or sparkling water with pommegranate juice. I read about another blogger doing this , and I waited to try this till I could find some of my own.
Next change is comitting to exercise in the morning and exercise 3 -4 times a week in the evenings with my husband. Nothing gigantic here, but instead a simple walk together outside, without the boy in tow. Serves two purposes- one is the physical exercise and the other is a definate window of opportunity to have an adult conversation without interuptions. Because our son is autistic we do not do babysitters or much without him in tow. This is a window of opportunity that we both feel we can safely do.
In the meanwhile, I finally got the chance to try some new to me foods that others have blogged about recently.
First is Smartfood Popcorn Clusters. I spotted them and decided to give them a try. They come to one point for a very small pack. I tried the almond cranberry flavor, and I found it WAY too sweet for my taste. It reminded me of carmel corn, which is something I have an odd relationship with. It is the first food I learned portion control with, and since then anything that tastes like carmel corn does interesting things to my head ( two bites and have to stop). The guys liked it a lot. I think if you are a carmel corn fan, this would be a good way to enjoy in a managed way.
Second thing was Vitatop muffins. I have heard so many rave about these, but I never found them in any of our markets to give them a try. I found them at our Supertarget and eagerly bought them. I chose the oatbran cranberry ones, as we all love oatmeal cranberry type muffins. Sadly, I disliked these. I found them to be too dry and too flat tastewise for me. Perhaps I would have felt different if it was the chocolate ones. Then a gain, truth be told I have never been one who craves baked goods for some reason. I can walk away from birthday cake or ice cream and cookies, but show me chicken satay or a thick steak and I have real trouble ! That is unless it is next to a Hostess Snowball or Suzi Q- and then i would be hard pressed to make a choice . Or stop at eating simply one choice !
One change I made is dropping coffee. (cue chorus of violins playing very sad songs). I have dropped it a couple of times in the past and it did make the scale move in the right direction, but I chose not to believe it to be the real problem and went back to it within a month. I blame Dunkin Donuts for this one. When I was 18 I worked the graveyard shift as a baker for Mister Donut ( a small donut shop in competition). There I learned how to handle yeast dough and an appreciation of serious coffee. When Dunkin Donuts started selling theirs to the public, it was more than I could resist. I have quit that cold turkey ( from drinking a whole pot every day) to embracing green tea. Why green tea ? If I am going to give up something bad for me I must replace it with something very good. Green tea is loaded with antioxidents and other good things. Plus, it seems to keep me from getting coffee withdrawl.
Second move is no diet sodas. These have not proven to be a factor in my weight loss stalls in the past, but you never know. I tend to drink 2 a day, but those two add up in the terms of cost, waste and exposure to strange chemicals. Instead we have switched to water with lemon or sparkling water with pommegranate juice. I read about another blogger doing this , and I waited to try this till I could find some of my own.
Next change is comitting to exercise in the morning and exercise 3 -4 times a week in the evenings with my husband. Nothing gigantic here, but instead a simple walk together outside, without the boy in tow. Serves two purposes- one is the physical exercise and the other is a definate window of opportunity to have an adult conversation without interuptions. Because our son is autistic we do not do babysitters or much without him in tow. This is a window of opportunity that we both feel we can safely do.In the meanwhile, I finally got the chance to try some new to me foods that others have blogged about recently.
First is Smartfood Popcorn Clusters. I spotted them and decided to give them a try. They come to one point for a very small pack. I tried the almond cranberry flavor, and I found it WAY too sweet for my taste. It reminded me of carmel corn, which is something I have an odd relationship with. It is the first food I learned portion control with, and since then anything that tastes like carmel corn does interesting things to my head ( two bites and have to stop). The guys liked it a lot. I think if you are a carmel corn fan, this would be a good way to enjoy in a managed way.
Second thing was Vitatop muffins. I have heard so many rave about these, but I never found them in any of our markets to give them a try. I found them at our Supertarget and eagerly bought them. I chose the oatbran cranberry ones, as we all love oatmeal cranberry type muffins. Sadly, I disliked these. I found them to be too dry and too flat tastewise for me. Perhaps I would have felt different if it was the chocolate ones. Then a gain, truth be told I have never been one who craves baked goods for some reason. I can walk away from birthday cake or ice cream and cookies, but show me chicken satay or a thick steak and I have real trouble ! That is unless it is next to a Hostess Snowball or Suzi Q- and then i would be hard pressed to make a choice . Or stop at eating simply one choice !
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Numbers Game
I hate numbers.
No matter if they are found in a mathematical equation, on an object called money, a device called a clock or a thing we call a scale- I HATE them all.Numbers are limiting, defining and in ways that are really inaccurate . For example, you are not hearing middle C ( do, a deer to you non musicians) you are feeling the impact of 256 Hz vibration in your auditory canal. Even if Julie Andrews herself delivered that information in that way you would not be interested. But hear "Do, a deer, a female deer" and you start humming along. Admit- you are doing it now. Ah, resonance !
I spent two days feeling okay with the fact that my body is just operating differently for good reasons at this time. Feeling comfortable in my own unique, worthy skin that serves as the envelope this time around for the thing I call my soul. Liking who I am, what i do and repecting my strengths and weaknesses. And then , like a dam bursting, I read the results of this weeks Biggest Loser challenge. Not only am I one of a very few who gained, but I have GAINED MORE THAN 11 POUNDS SINCE THE CHALLENGE BEGAN , but I am the only one who has done so. Stimulating. Perhaps others have gained and decided to drop the challenge because of it, and I am the only one crazy enough to remember I made this as a commitment and I will stick to it no matter what. Quitting was and is never an option, but evidentally failure is something I can do. Repeatedly.
It does make me laugh that something I thought would be a boost and a benefit to this journey for me is turning into something that is making bulemia, gastric bypass surgery or throwing myself off a cliff look attractive. No- I will not do either of these , but I can fully understand why some choose these options. Do you have any idea how it feels to be a prisoner in your own body ? What it feels like to do everything that you are supposed to for almost a year and not see results ? To fear that no matter what I do, eat, move, think or try I am trapped in this physical form till I die ? There is nothing on earth that can take away that feeling. There is no higher power interveining here either. All there seems to be is eternal hope that keeps being hurled and smashed to the rocks called numbers week after week. Skipping weigh in is not a solution, for ignorance of that number is not going to change the realities of other numbers that accompany it. Those numbers are unveiled in things like blood work. To do nothing is also not an option, because a change does indeed need to happen.
I just don't know.
No matter if they are found in a mathematical equation, on an object called money, a device called a clock or a thing we call a scale- I HATE them all.Numbers are limiting, defining and in ways that are really inaccurate . For example, you are not hearing middle C ( do, a deer to you non musicians) you are feeling the impact of 256 Hz vibration in your auditory canal. Even if Julie Andrews herself delivered that information in that way you would not be interested. But hear "Do, a deer, a female deer" and you start humming along. Admit- you are doing it now. Ah, resonance !
I spent two days feeling okay with the fact that my body is just operating differently for good reasons at this time. Feeling comfortable in my own unique, worthy skin that serves as the envelope this time around for the thing I call my soul. Liking who I am, what i do and repecting my strengths and weaknesses. And then , like a dam bursting, I read the results of this weeks Biggest Loser challenge. Not only am I one of a very few who gained, but I have GAINED MORE THAN 11 POUNDS SINCE THE CHALLENGE BEGAN , but I am the only one who has done so. Stimulating. Perhaps others have gained and decided to drop the challenge because of it, and I am the only one crazy enough to remember I made this as a commitment and I will stick to it no matter what. Quitting was and is never an option, but evidentally failure is something I can do. Repeatedly.
It does make me laugh that something I thought would be a boost and a benefit to this journey for me is turning into something that is making bulemia, gastric bypass surgery or throwing myself off a cliff look attractive. No- I will not do either of these , but I can fully understand why some choose these options. Do you have any idea how it feels to be a prisoner in your own body ? What it feels like to do everything that you are supposed to for almost a year and not see results ? To fear that no matter what I do, eat, move, think or try I am trapped in this physical form till I die ? There is nothing on earth that can take away that feeling. There is no higher power interveining here either. All there seems to be is eternal hope that keeps being hurled and smashed to the rocks called numbers week after week. Skipping weigh in is not a solution, for ignorance of that number is not going to change the realities of other numbers that accompany it. Those numbers are unveiled in things like blood work. To do nothing is also not an option, because a change does indeed need to happen.
I just don't know.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Reflecting
It's been a day full of the usual Saturday stuff- shopping, chopping and weigh in. Even though i gained 3.8- or everything that I lost last week- I am not discouraged for some reason. I know that I am doing everything that I can with intake and calories, and there is something else going on. It balance of essential fatty acids makes a lot of sense to me, as does the affects of coffee. It's not that it makes me eat more or that I load it down with cream and sugar, but rather that it stresses my adrenal glands. I am going through menopause, and part of that process means the ovaries shut down and other parts of the endocrine system pick up the slack . It is not that these glands begin to ovulate, but instead take over the biochemical functions for the body. Ovaries control a lot more than just releasing eggs. While in transition, the body becomes a little baffling, with things like strange temperature shifts, heart palpitations, changes in digestion and more. While at 20 I could live on gallons of coffee a day, at 50 my body does not take kindly to it. So along with giving up nuts and nut butters, i will try , once again, to give up coffee. Green tea helps with the need for a lift, but does not have the negative affects in the body.
Perhaps if I say this often enough I will be able to live without coffee. Problem is ,I LOVE coffee. I love the way it smells, tastes and feels in your mouth. There is not a single substance in the world that can compare to it. Coffee has been the best friend that took over after alcohol and cigarettes left my life. I grew up in a house were the coffee pot was always on and the coffee urn was the first thing gathered for any party. Lately coffee has been the daily loving gesture my husband does for me. Heavy sigh.
But yet, if coffee is the thing that is preventing me from at long last becoming the person I want to be , how can I hang onto it ? I have spent all but 18 months of my life as the fat person. I entered first grade as a 200 pound little girl, and just kept going. I finally acchived the weight of 310 pounds before my 30th birthday, and did something about it, not in order to look good or be healthy, but to conccive. I lost 110 pounds, got pregnant, and the battle returned as a result of becoming a mom. It was not simply baby weight, but weight gained from a hormone imbalance that is only truely cured through weight loss- and weight loss is the hardest thing to do in life because of it. Coffee and refined carbs become one enemy, essential fatty acid ratio becomes yet another. And guess what - NEITHER of these are moved even a micrometer closer to balance because of time spent in exercise. That has to be embraced for other reasons.
So thus begins a new week, a new attempt and yet another pick myself up and dust myself off attempt. I must say there are so many other benefits to this way of life that the scale slips into unimportance when held up to the rest. The biggest reason, the original motivation for the journey is still there- my son. His progess is slower right now. He has lost 73 pounds and has gotten to the point where weight loss happens a pound or less at a time, but it is still plugging away. My husband is still losing and we are doing this as a family. There is great companionship along the way, as well as a lot of shared lessons. It is a bond like few other famileis experience. Perhaps this is the reason that the movement of the scale does not phase me much these days.
Perhaps if I say this often enough I will be able to live without coffee. Problem is ,I LOVE coffee. I love the way it smells, tastes and feels in your mouth. There is not a single substance in the world that can compare to it. Coffee has been the best friend that took over after alcohol and cigarettes left my life. I grew up in a house were the coffee pot was always on and the coffee urn was the first thing gathered for any party. Lately coffee has been the daily loving gesture my husband does for me. Heavy sigh.
But yet, if coffee is the thing that is preventing me from at long last becoming the person I want to be , how can I hang onto it ? I have spent all but 18 months of my life as the fat person. I entered first grade as a 200 pound little girl, and just kept going. I finally acchived the weight of 310 pounds before my 30th birthday, and did something about it, not in order to look good or be healthy, but to conccive. I lost 110 pounds, got pregnant, and the battle returned as a result of becoming a mom. It was not simply baby weight, but weight gained from a hormone imbalance that is only truely cured through weight loss- and weight loss is the hardest thing to do in life because of it. Coffee and refined carbs become one enemy, essential fatty acid ratio becomes yet another. And guess what - NEITHER of these are moved even a micrometer closer to balance because of time spent in exercise. That has to be embraced for other reasons.
So thus begins a new week, a new attempt and yet another pick myself up and dust myself off attempt. I must say there are so many other benefits to this way of life that the scale slips into unimportance when held up to the rest. The biggest reason, the original motivation for the journey is still there- my son. His progess is slower right now. He has lost 73 pounds and has gotten to the point where weight loss happens a pound or less at a time, but it is still plugging away. My husband is still losing and we are doing this as a family. There is great companionship along the way, as well as a lot of shared lessons. It is a bond like few other famileis experience. Perhaps this is the reason that the movement of the scale does not phase me much these days.
Saturday weigh in
Just a quickie
Me - UP 3.8. I mistakenly ate a new almond butter with a different oil blend thinking it would be okay. I ate 2 teaspoons of it this week. I also returned to drinking coffee. So I gained back all I lost last week
Hubby lost 1.4
Son lost 0.2
Me - UP 3.8. I mistakenly ate a new almond butter with a different oil blend thinking it would be okay. I ate 2 teaspoons of it this week. I also returned to drinking coffee. So I gained back all I lost last week
Hubby lost 1.4
Son lost 0.2
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tapping and clearing
Life seems to have taken a different direction in the last few days, and I am not completely sure why or how. Foodwise things have been the same , exercise as well, but something has been very different. I just cannot put my finger on it. We are eating the same sequence of foods ( oatmeal for breakfast, soup and sandwich for lunch and meat, starch and two veggies for dinner) , but it feels like it is having a completely different affect on my body. Either i am losing again or my skin is shrinking to more adequately fit my body. Not going to step on the scale till tomorrow morning though.
The past week I have been participating in the EFT world seminar, or Tapping conference through the web. EFT is Emotional Freedom technique that is basically combining affirmation statements with the energy meridians( acupressure points) in the body to change your reaction and behaviors. It is currently being used on just about everything to see just what it's full potential is. I practice reiki and Quantum Touch , and I experiment with combining these with EFT on myself, so I decided these seminars would be a great way to further my understanding and perhaps use it in new to me ways. Last night was a session on using EFT for pain managment and another on using it for weight loss. This began with a discussion about the emotional reasons people overeat, and how eft can be applied to break the cycle. This was not nessisarily a new concept to me, but for the first time someone began to lump the attitude of boredom as an emotional eating trigger. And then other ideas, such as the need for emotional strength and even more. I found it to be very eye opening . And the root cause of emotional overeating is not so far removed from the emotional reasons behind cronic pain in the body- again this proved to be very eye opening to me. I went through the suggestions for application with the tapping sequence and affirmations, and found myself feeling very different as a result. We turned in, and my mind was still feeling very relaxed. However, at 2:30 am I was awakend with a thought , or rather an ability to put into exact words something that has been deeply bothering me for the last 15 years, but I had no ability to put into words. My husband was half awake as well, and we began to talk. Or rather that I was able to say what I wanted to say for so long, and through that I said something else that had also been buried for 27 years. Pretty potent stuff, that EFT.
What doies this mean ? I don't know. But suddenly it feels like a wall has come down. Will it let the flowers in , or does this just make it easier for the wolves to get to the door ?
The past week I have been participating in the EFT world seminar, or Tapping conference through the web. EFT is Emotional Freedom technique that is basically combining affirmation statements with the energy meridians( acupressure points) in the body to change your reaction and behaviors. It is currently being used on just about everything to see just what it's full potential is. I practice reiki and Quantum Touch , and I experiment with combining these with EFT on myself, so I decided these seminars would be a great way to further my understanding and perhaps use it in new to me ways. Last night was a session on using EFT for pain managment and another on using it for weight loss. This began with a discussion about the emotional reasons people overeat, and how eft can be applied to break the cycle. This was not nessisarily a new concept to me, but for the first time someone began to lump the attitude of boredom as an emotional eating trigger. And then other ideas, such as the need for emotional strength and even more. I found it to be very eye opening . And the root cause of emotional overeating is not so far removed from the emotional reasons behind cronic pain in the body- again this proved to be very eye opening to me. I went through the suggestions for application with the tapping sequence and affirmations, and found myself feeling very different as a result. We turned in, and my mind was still feeling very relaxed. However, at 2:30 am I was awakend with a thought , or rather an ability to put into exact words something that has been deeply bothering me for the last 15 years, but I had no ability to put into words. My husband was half awake as well, and we began to talk. Or rather that I was able to say what I wanted to say for so long, and through that I said something else that had also been buried for 27 years. Pretty potent stuff, that EFT.
What doies this mean ? I don't know. But suddenly it feels like a wall has come down. Will it let the flowers in , or does this just make it easier for the wolves to get to the door ?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Earth Day
Earth Day does not usually mean a big thing to most people, but to my son, Mr Literal ( thanks to the gift of Autism), it is a big holiday. TV talks about it, and by coincidence daddy has to be in church that evening for a choir rehearsal, so these things confirm it is a holiday. This morning he woke up and wanted to know what we were going to have for the special dinner to celebrate. This caught me totally off guard, and I had no idea what could possibly be earth day fare. And to be honest, at 6 am my brain is not always firing on all cylinders with creativity, so I told him we would have planet polenta for lunch. Safe enough, as i had about six hours to figure out something along those lines. That being solved, we began the day with breakfast
oats,wheat rye flakes with pumpkin
crasins, ground flax,almond butter , coconut, goji berries,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogurt, Sicilian orange
water, coffee
Then we moved onto school, and got sidetracked by watching a program on the History Channel about biblical archeology. It was pointing to evidence of the Exodus, and son really got glued to the show. Amongst the "revelations" to him was the fact that Jesus celebrated Passover. I kept shaking my head because this detail has been discussed with him for about 14 years, but suddenly seeing it in the context of a different sort of focus brought in loads of loose ends and wove them into a tapestry of understanding. I Love days like this with him !
So then it was time to break for lunch, and my mind planned on making polenta with some food coloring swirled in to look like water and land. Guess what ? No food coloring in the house ! So I quickly decided to make "polenta Pizza"- cook cornmeal in water to make a really basic polenta/mush sort of thing, top with "instant "pizza sauce made from tomato sauce, italian seaoning, a drizzle of olive oil , truvia and parm cheese, sprinkle with low fatr mozzerella and frozen peas. Why frozen ? The polenta is so hot that it needs a little cooling and the frozen peas taste best with very little cooking. He thought it was terrific, and so did I
Dinner was sort of lite for us
Tomorrow we will hit out walk early , ,before the day and it's details sidetrack us .
oats,wheat rye flakes with pumpkin
crasins, ground flax,almond butter , coconut, goji berries,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogurt, Sicilian orange
water, coffee
Then we moved onto school, and got sidetracked by watching a program on the History Channel about biblical archeology. It was pointing to evidence of the Exodus, and son really got glued to the show. Amongst the "revelations" to him was the fact that Jesus celebrated Passover. I kept shaking my head because this detail has been discussed with him for about 14 years, but suddenly seeing it in the context of a different sort of focus brought in loads of loose ends and wove them into a tapestry of understanding. I Love days like this with him !
So then it was time to break for lunch, and my mind planned on making polenta with some food coloring swirled in to look like water and land. Guess what ? No food coloring in the house ! So I quickly decided to make "polenta Pizza"- cook cornmeal in water to make a really basic polenta/mush sort of thing, top with "instant "pizza sauce made from tomato sauce, italian seaoning, a drizzle of olive oil , truvia and parm cheese, sprinkle with low fatr mozzerella and frozen peas. Why frozen ? The polenta is so hot that it needs a little cooling and the frozen peas taste best with very little cooking. He thought it was terrific, and so did I
Polenta Pizza, peas, carrots, celery
yo plus, orange, Diet Dr Pepper
yo plus, orange, Diet Dr Pepper
We had intended to do yoga today but got severely sidetracked with some programs on ecology hosted by Bill Nye the Science Guy and another following that showed paper made from elephant dung. They explained the process and it was not gross looking. After much treatment they wind up only using the straw from the grass that was in the original product. We were both rather fascinated with these shoes and wound up having some meaningful conversations as a result. Bad for exercise, but definitely good for other objectives.
Dinner was sort of lite for us
Turkey burger on Arnold's Sandwich Thins
Cabbage soup, Diet Dr Pepper
Cabbage soup, Diet Dr Pepper
Tomorrow we will hit out walk early , ,before the day and it's details sidetrack us .
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday and a movie
Yesterday was one of those days when you feel like you have really accomplished something . Back to school and things went really well, get in time for exercise, time for personal studies and even managed to squeeze in a movie. Hubby and i are light years behind current movies for numbers of reasons, but not long ago we changed our cable service package to some deal that included HBO and show time, and now we have their movies available On Demand to watch when we can. We decided to catch Sex in the City, and we both got a good laugh at several parts. It was nice to kind of kick back together .
Exercise-Biggest Loser Yoga 25 min
Breakfast
oats,wheat rye flakes
Fig, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, Siccilian orange
water, coffee
Lunch-
Turkey breast and swiss on Arnolds thins with spring greens
celery, carrots, Sicilian orange
homemade lentil soup , Yo plus
Barques Diet
Dinner -
Chicken Vesuvio with veggies
Spring mix salad, Wishbone salad spritzers, Barques Diet
Exercise-Biggest Loser Yoga 25 min
Breakfastoats,wheat rye flakes
Fig, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, Siccilian orange
water, coffee
Lunch-
Turkey breast and swiss on Arnolds thins with spring greens
celery, carrots, Sicilian orange
homemade lentil soup , Yo plus
Barques Diet
Dinner -
Chicken Vesuvio with veggies
Spring mix salad, Wishbone salad spritzers, Barques Diet
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday
Kind of rushed this morning- we are back to homeschool after a 2 week break and I overslept. I have noticed lately that I am sleeping a lot better for some reason, and as a result I am having a lot of trouble getting up as early as i used to. Only thing I am doing different is changing the essential fatty acid ratio. Curious. Anyway, just yesterday's food log as a result
Breakfast- crockpot grains with pumpkin ( wheat, barley, steelcut oats) and molasses and cinnamon with coconut, olive oil, crasins, flax , wheat bran and dark cocoa powder
apple yo plus , water and green tea
Lunch - turkey breast and swiss on whole wheat sub roll with black bean hummus, carrots , celery and Sicillian orange, Yo plus and Diet 7 Up
Dinner- eggplant, zuchinin,red pepper, mushroom and onion casserole( also has ground turkey and reduced fat mozzerella cheese), gnocchi, spring mix salad greens , wish bone salad spritzers, diet 7 up
Have a good one !
Breakfast- crockpot grains with pumpkin ( wheat, barley, steelcut oats) and molasses and cinnamon with coconut, olive oil, crasins, flax , wheat bran and dark cocoa powderapple yo plus , water and green tea
Lunch - turkey breast and swiss on whole wheat sub roll with black bean hummus, carrots , celery and Sicillian orange, Yo plus and Diet 7 Up
Dinner- eggplant, zuchinin,red pepper, mushroom and onion casserole( also has ground turkey and reduced fat mozzerella cheese), gnocchi, spring mix salad greens , wish bone salad spritzers, diet 7 up
Have a good one !
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Food finds
I went to Trader Joes today and some cool stuff followed me home
Pictured are ground chicken, organic quinoa, sprouted whole wheat pasta, dried dragon fruit, gnocchi, sicillian oranges, 100 calorie dark chocolate, steel cut oats, green tea, peanut and flax seed butter, almond butter, sea salt, probiotics and spirulina- or as we jokingly call it pond scum.
Other new favorites in the house, not found at Trader Joes- Arnold's Sandwich thins ( where have they been my whole life ???) and Truvia, mthe new stevia based sweetner. I have tried it in coffee so far, and I like it.
Is it the height of nerdyness to post pictures of groceries ???
Pictured are ground chicken, organic quinoa, sprouted whole wheat pasta, dried dragon fruit, gnocchi, sicillian oranges, 100 calorie dark chocolate, steel cut oats, green tea, peanut and flax seed butter, almond butter, sea salt, probiotics and spirulina- or as we jokingly call it pond scum.
Other new favorites in the house, not found at Trader Joes- Arnold's Sandwich thins ( where have they been my whole life ???) and Truvia, mthe new stevia based sweetner. I have tried it in coffee so far, and I like it.Is it the height of nerdyness to post pictures of groceries ???
Lists are supposed to do what ?
Spent most of yesterday in pursuit of errands. Library, grocery stores and a quick trip to the woods. The weather was very nice, but my current plague is making it hard to breath or do much of anything without tissues at the ready. I decided that seems robins do not have access to kleenex it would not be fare to pass this on to them, so we did not go for a walk outside. Got in plenty walking combing the grocery isles though ! Even though I make detailed lists, we always seem to remember something not on the list that happens to be at the opposite end of the store and so off we go , back to where we started from, dodging other shoppers, samples and getting sidetracked with ten thousand other things. I think we have ADD when it comes to shopping !
Lunchtime rolled around and we were still shopping, so we stopped to grab lunch at our favorite grocery store. Odd thing is, this place is a small local chain, but every week they have some kind of event or promotion, and it feels more like a happening than grocery shopping.
They have fresh flowers on the tables, a different kind each week, and they are always interesting. I am not certain, but I think these may be the flowers from a pineapple tree. Not positive, but they were strangely pretty. Lunch was a Sromboli, which is sort of a cross between a pizza, a sub and a Hot Pocket
This one was loaded with peppers and onions and other veggies and cheese. Very yummy !
After the shopping was done it was back home for veggy chopping and assorted putting away of foods, followed by dinner and an evening playing games. I was the biggest loser of the week so it was my choice- Wii games. We played several games of bowling and then darts, where I beat the guys. ( Darts are on a Wii game called Game Party, and are a lot of fun.) We decided that from now on, The Biggest Loser shall pose for a weekly progress picture while wearing a silly medal that came with some colored covers for the Wii remotes. So, Here I am this week
In the meantime, we learned that there is a Trader Joes closer to our home than the one we had gone to in the past, so we plan on making a feild trip out there today to do some stocking up. Should be fun !
Lunchtime rolled around and we were still shopping, so we stopped to grab lunch at our favorite grocery store. Odd thing is, this place is a small local chain, but every week they have some kind of event or promotion, and it feels more like a happening than grocery shopping.
They have fresh flowers on the tables, a different kind each week, and they are always interesting. I am not certain, but I think these may be the flowers from a pineapple tree. Not positive, but they were strangely pretty. Lunch was a Sromboli, which is sort of a cross between a pizza, a sub and a Hot Pocket
This one was loaded with peppers and onions and other veggies and cheese. Very yummy !After the shopping was done it was back home for veggy chopping and assorted putting away of foods, followed by dinner and an evening playing games. I was the biggest loser of the week so it was my choice- Wii games. We played several games of bowling and then darts, where I beat the guys. ( Darts are on a Wii game called Game Party, and are a lot of fun.) We decided that from now on, The Biggest Loser shall pose for a weekly progress picture while wearing a silly medal that came with some colored covers for the Wii remotes. So, Here I am this week
In the meantime, we learned that there is a Trader Joes closer to our home than the one we had gone to in the past, so we plan on making a feild trip out there today to do some stocking up. Should be fun !
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday weigh in
So it was a week of Easter, visiting, and a change in routine. Did not expect much from this week, but
SURPRISE !
Me - DOWN 3.8 ( it is definitely the essential fatty acid balance)
Hubby- DOWN 1.2
Son DOWN 0.6
I am officially the biggest loser in the house this week and I get to pick the game. I am thinking it will be a night of Wii tennis or boxing. Will feel good after a day of shopping, chopping and a walk in the woods. I still have "The Plague " and i think it will be fun to pass it on to the robins and other spring creatures instead of humans.
SURPRISE !
Me - DOWN 3.8 ( it is definitely the essential fatty acid balance)
Hubby- DOWN 1.2
Son DOWN 0.6
I am officially the biggest loser in the house this week and I get to pick the game. I am thinking it will be a night of Wii tennis or boxing. Will feel good after a day of shopping, chopping and a walk in the woods. I still have "The Plague " and i think it will be fun to pass it on to the robins and other spring creatures instead of humans.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Think too much, you get sick !
Sometimes I run into places where I just plain overthink an then find myself spinning int an area where I no longer know what is up, down, current, old, needs to be fed or really should be sent packing. The last few days have been a trip into this area, and as a result I have succumb to the current round of plague. Stress really makes your immune system weak, and as a result it lets any one of the ten thousand varieties of bugs come in and get comfy.
Easter eating brought a recurrence of behaviors that have left my son for two years, and so I thought it was time to make a move to a gluten free diet. After spending two days of researching, reading, calculating and so forth, I was a wreck. It's one thing to determine you need to make a dietary change, and a whole other thing to figure out how to do it. Eliminating gluten is not easy, and when you add other factors in your life it can become almost impossible in some cases. I finally took a step back and asked myself some hard questions, like am I jumping the gun with this ? Up till Easter he was doing fine and making great progress. So why do we need to make another sweeping change ? In our case it seems that simply eliminating refined flours and sugar are making a real difference, so why not simply continue that route ? So that is what we will do.
And that resolved, my system decided that for a new form of entertainment, we will entertain a cold virus that several people brought with them to the party on Sunday. I think I am carrying 15 mounds of crud in my head, all waiting to be sneezed out and gifted to the rest of humanity. There was no exercise yesterday as a result.I want coffee, a warm bed and to just make the world go away.
Breakfast
cornmeal polenta with molassess
Goji berries,Coconut, crasins, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, apple
water, green tea
Lunch-(not gluten free)
Bocca Burger on Arnolds Sandwich Thins with baby spinach
homemade lentil soup,celery, carrots, apple
yo plus digestive yogert, Diet Dr Pepper
Dinner - I give up ! Ask hubby for assistance and carry out
Turkey sub from Subway, yo plus digestive yogert, apple
Easter eating brought a recurrence of behaviors that have left my son for two years, and so I thought it was time to make a move to a gluten free diet. After spending two days of researching, reading, calculating and so forth, I was a wreck. It's one thing to determine you need to make a dietary change, and a whole other thing to figure out how to do it. Eliminating gluten is not easy, and when you add other factors in your life it can become almost impossible in some cases. I finally took a step back and asked myself some hard questions, like am I jumping the gun with this ? Up till Easter he was doing fine and making great progress. So why do we need to make another sweeping change ? In our case it seems that simply eliminating refined flours and sugar are making a real difference, so why not simply continue that route ? So that is what we will do.
And that resolved, my system decided that for a new form of entertainment, we will entertain a cold virus that several people brought with them to the party on Sunday. I think I am carrying 15 mounds of crud in my head, all waiting to be sneezed out and gifted to the rest of humanity. There was no exercise yesterday as a result.I want coffee, a warm bed and to just make the world go away.
Breakfast
cornmeal polenta with molassessGoji berries,Coconut, crasins, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, apple
water, green tea
Lunch-(not gluten free)
Bocca Burger on Arnolds Sandwich Thins with baby spinach
homemade lentil soup,celery, carrots, apple
yo plus digestive yogert, Diet Dr Pepper
Dinner - I give up ! Ask hubby for assistance and carry out
Turkey sub from Subway, yo plus digestive yogert, apple
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Forgot to mention
I forgot to mention this the last couple of days !
Sunday was a day that was very out of the ordinary foodwise. We did not binge on candy, sweets and such but rather wound up eating in a way that was very similar to how we did before the weight loss plan- refined carbs, wrong kinds of fats and so forth. Not only did we all feel bad as a result, but I noticed a very definite impact on my son's Autistic behaviors, and it got me to thinking. Two years ago he was in a very, very dark place and it was the addition of essential fatty acid supplements that made him present enough to even attempt a dietary and lifestyle change in order to tackle weight loss. It has been wonderful, but how much better could it be if I made the move to a gluten free diet with him ? Those who have done so with autistic children have seen a pretty impressive rate of improvement, so why not try to make this move ?
So startimng next week we will begin a move to a gluten free diet. I have been researching and planning most of the day and choosing which things I belive to be less of a risk for the inclusion in our diets. And as a result, I will add some blogs to m toolbar that I am finding helpful in this move.
Wish us luck ! Gluten free and weight loss with close attention to the fatty acid ratio should be fun. I think for relaxation I will go play in a mine feild with a pogo stick !
Sunday was a day that was very out of the ordinary foodwise. We did not binge on candy, sweets and such but rather wound up eating in a way that was very similar to how we did before the weight loss plan- refined carbs, wrong kinds of fats and so forth. Not only did we all feel bad as a result, but I noticed a very definite impact on my son's Autistic behaviors, and it got me to thinking. Two years ago he was in a very, very dark place and it was the addition of essential fatty acid supplements that made him present enough to even attempt a dietary and lifestyle change in order to tackle weight loss. It has been wonderful, but how much better could it be if I made the move to a gluten free diet with him ? Those who have done so with autistic children have seen a pretty impressive rate of improvement, so why not try to make this move ?
So startimng next week we will begin a move to a gluten free diet. I have been researching and planning most of the day and choosing which things I belive to be less of a risk for the inclusion in our diets. And as a result, I will add some blogs to m toolbar that I am finding helpful in this move.
Wish us luck ! Gluten free and weight loss with close attention to the fatty acid ratio should be fun. I think for relaxation I will go play in a mine feild with a pogo stick !
Swimsuit motivation
Good day exercise wise yesterday. It was very cold and grey out but not so cold as to need heavy coats, so I convinced son to go on a couple of short walks. he final selling point was that we need to build up our base tan so we will not get sunburned in the swimming pool. Our pool opens around Memorial Day and he LIVES to swim. He has never had any self conscious feelings about wearing a swimsuit ( just like me) , and loves getting in there and swimming around.Funny how swimsuit season can prove to be a ood motivation on so many levels.Here it is not work to look good in a suit, bnut instead get out to build up a base tan !
exercise-
Walk 45 min
Breakfast
Oat, barley and rye flakes with pumpkin
Goji berries,Cocnut,dark chocolate, crasins, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, apple
water, green tea
Lunch-
Bocca burger on Arnolds sandwich thins with baby spinach
homemade lentil soup, yo plus digestive yogert, apple
carrot and celery sticks, Diet Squirt
Dinner -
Chicken breast in universal marinate
brown rice, corn, broccoli,cucumbers
Diet Squirt
exercise-
Walk 45 min
BreakfastOat, barley and rye flakes with pumpkin
Goji berries,Cocnut,dark chocolate, crasins, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, apple
water, green tea
Lunch-
Bocca burger on Arnolds sandwich thins with baby spinach
homemade lentil soup, yo plus digestive yogert, apple
carrot and celery sticks, Diet Squirt
Dinner -Chicken breast in universal marinate
brown rice, corn, broccoli,cucumbers
Diet Squirt
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
It feels so good
It seems universal that after embarking on a healthy lifestyle change , variations in your routine make you feel really off, and it is no difference in this house. While we did not do bad over Easter, it did mean a day of ingesting a lot of refined carbs, bad fats and the addition of refined sugars. We all felt off yesterday, but good news is that with a day of returning completely to the new norm made us all feel better by evening's end.
The weather was not terribly cooperative yesterday so we wound up going for a nice walk in Target. To some who routinely use gyms and such this does not sound like exercise, but your muscles don't really care where you move. While simple walking seems like nothing,it gets your lymphatic system working efficiently as well as getting your heart and lungs working at a slightly increased rate. That will help you clear the mental funk and start those feel good chemicals flowing in your bloodstream. Store walking also gives you the opportunity to take a look at things you may miss normally when you go and find yourself focused on a list or watching the time. As a result of my walking yesterday i discovered that our Target carries the Arnold's Sandwich Thins, and I finally get to try them this week !
So yesterdays log
Breakfast
Oat, barley and rye flakes with pumpkin
Goji berries, crasins, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, apple
water, green tea
Lunch-
Turkey breast on high fiber tortilla with baby spinach, cucumber, celery and carrots
celery and carrot sticks, Yo Plus Digestive yogert
Diet Squirt
Dinner -
Chicken Parmesagn on Heartland pasta ( lo cal, ,lo fat and high fiber !)
steamed asparagus and sautee'd baby spinach,diet squirt
The weather was not terribly cooperative yesterday so we wound up going for a nice walk in Target. To some who routinely use gyms and such this does not sound like exercise, but your muscles don't really care where you move. While simple walking seems like nothing,it gets your lymphatic system working efficiently as well as getting your heart and lungs working at a slightly increased rate. That will help you clear the mental funk and start those feel good chemicals flowing in your bloodstream. Store walking also gives you the opportunity to take a look at things you may miss normally when you go and find yourself focused on a list or watching the time. As a result of my walking yesterday i discovered that our Target carries the Arnold's Sandwich Thins, and I finally get to try them this week !
So yesterdays log
BreakfastOat, barley and rye flakes with pumpkin
Goji berries, crasins, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, apple
water, green tea
Lunch-
Turkey breast on high fiber tortilla with baby spinach, cucumber, celery and carrots
celery and carrot sticks, Yo Plus Digestive yogert
Diet Squirt
Dinner -Chicken Parmesagn on Heartland pasta ( lo cal, ,lo fat and high fiber !)
steamed asparagus and sautee'd baby spinach,diet squirt
Monday, April 13, 2009
Back to normal
Easter is over, ,the lamb cakes have been consumed, the Peep's sacrificed and all of the eggs rolled down their various hills and valleys. So it's back to normal once again !
We had a fun Easter with family, but no food pictures. When you gather with 35 people in a small 3 bedroom ranch house , complete with dogs, babies in high chairs and so forth, you don't sit to eat at tables. Instead you find some corner to balance your plate with one hand and fork with the other, and do the best you can. There was lamb and ham and veggies as well as cake and candy and good times.
We all noticed the difference in the way we felt from a day of eating complex carbs and high fat. One is good, three is better and 10 gets close to feeling just about right. So today it is back to the veggies, whole grains and a good long walk.
We had a fun Easter with family, but no food pictures. When you gather with 35 people in a small 3 bedroom ranch house , complete with dogs, babies in high chairs and so forth, you don't sit to eat at tables. Instead you find some corner to balance your plate with one hand and fork with the other, and do the best you can. There was lamb and ham and veggies as well as cake and candy and good times.
We all noticed the difference in the way we felt from a day of eating complex carbs and high fat. One is good, three is better and 10 gets close to feeling just about right. So today it is back to the veggies, whole grains and a good long walk.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
A tale of 3 oatmeals and weigh in
First, the weigh in
Me- 1.6 lbs DOWN ( One more week of paying close attention to the omega fatty acid ratio mix and I will be convinced)
Hubby - UP 3.2 . Reason ? He had to go out with his choir for dinner last night and it was at a Greek restaurant. Cheese Tortellini with way too much salt, half a bottle of wine ( normally non drinker) - it will come off
Son - UP 0.8 from an incident with too many hush puppies at Golden Coral on Wednesday. It will come off.
So begins another week. Tomorrow is going to be a free for all because of the gathering at my mom's, so the rest of the week will have to be rather vigilant. We started this day with our usual oatmeal, but this time each had theirs just a little different
Hubby and I had it with ground flax, crasins and a square of 85 % dark cocoa, and I added wheat bran to mine. Son on the other hand had his with flax, crasins, edible Easter grass and a peep
Have you seen the new edible Easter grass ? It comes in a couple of different flavors ( pictured is green apple flavored)and a whole pack is 100 calories. In the above bowl is 1/4th of a pack cut into short peices. What does it taste like ? A sort of flavored ice cream cone. I think it is a terrific idea ! Easter Grass is one of the most useless, annoying things, and something that you could consume and be done with it is a good thing. To my son, this is a really fun breakfast !
Have a great day all !
Me- 1.6 lbs DOWN ( One more week of paying close attention to the omega fatty acid ratio mix and I will be convinced)
Hubby - UP 3.2 . Reason ? He had to go out with his choir for dinner last night and it was at a Greek restaurant. Cheese Tortellini with way too much salt, half a bottle of wine ( normally non drinker) - it will come off
Son - UP 0.8 from an incident with too many hush puppies at Golden Coral on Wednesday. It will come off.
So begins another week. Tomorrow is going to be a free for all because of the gathering at my mom's, so the rest of the week will have to be rather vigilant. We started this day with our usual oatmeal, but this time each had theirs just a little different
Hubby and I had it with ground flax, crasins and a square of 85 % dark cocoa, and I added wheat bran to mine. Son on the other hand had his with flax, crasins, edible Easter grass and a peep
Have you seen the new edible Easter grass ? It comes in a couple of different flavors ( pictured is green apple flavored)and a whole pack is 100 calories. In the above bowl is 1/4th of a pack cut into short peices. What does it taste like ? A sort of flavored ice cream cone. I think it is a terrific idea ! Easter Grass is one of the most useless, annoying things, and something that you could consume and be done with it is a good thing. To my son, this is a really fun breakfast !
Have a great day all !
Friday, April 10, 2009
It's been a Good Friday
A nice, easy day around here today.
Hubby was off, and i got to sneak out all on my own for a very short walk. This is a rather momentous occasion as I almost always have the accompaniment of at least a partner in crime. I do not mind the company, but it has made me forget my life before kids. Hard to remember a whole lifetime ago when I used to go hiking in the woods on my own ! Now adays i don't know if such an activity is wise, or safe.
Daddy had to sing for Stations of the Cross as well as the Good Friday service, so he was not here for dinner. This made it officially a "Love Dinner". Meaning supper was just son and I and normally it also involves candles. Tonight for some reason he did not want to do candles, but wanted dinner very early because it was two of his favorite foods- peas and pasta. Daddy hates peas, so we don't often have them. What can I say- it does not have to be fussy to be special !
Breakfast- repeat from yesterday
Oat, barley and rye flakes with pumpkin
Goji berries, crasins, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, navel orange
water, green tea
Lunch- simple and meatless for Good Friday
Cottage cheese and pineapple chunks
celery and carrots sticks
Praeventia bar, Diet Dr Pepper
Dinner -
Cheese Tortellini with marinara sauce
peas, homemade minestroni soup ( was on it's last leg so use it up), Diet Dr Pepper
Tomorrow morning is weigh in- I am really curious to see how I have done with changing the ratio of essential fatty acids . I feel like I have lost, but feelings in this way are not always accurate for me.
Hubby was off, and i got to sneak out all on my own for a very short walk. This is a rather momentous occasion as I almost always have the accompaniment of at least a partner in crime. I do not mind the company, but it has made me forget my life before kids. Hard to remember a whole lifetime ago when I used to go hiking in the woods on my own ! Now adays i don't know if such an activity is wise, or safe.
Daddy had to sing for Stations of the Cross as well as the Good Friday service, so he was not here for dinner. This made it officially a "Love Dinner". Meaning supper was just son and I and normally it also involves candles. Tonight for some reason he did not want to do candles, but wanted dinner very early because it was two of his favorite foods- peas and pasta. Daddy hates peas, so we don't often have them. What can I say- it does not have to be fussy to be special !
Breakfast- repeat from yesterdayOat, barley and rye flakes with pumpkin
Goji berries, crasins, ground flax,olive oil
Yo plus digestive yogert, navel orange
water, green tea
Lunch- simple and meatless for Good Friday
Cottage cheese and pineapple chunks
celery and carrots sticks
Praeventia bar, Diet Dr Pepper
Dinner -Cheese Tortellini with marinara sauce
peas, homemade minestroni soup ( was on it's last leg so use it up), Diet Dr Pepper
Tomorrow morning is weigh in- I am really curious to see how I have done with changing the ratio of essential fatty acids . I feel like I have lost, but feelings in this way are not always accurate for me.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Holy Thursday
Yesterday was one of those particularly wonderful days where your intentions meet with all of the mundane factors in a perfect blend and things go better than you dreamed possible.We headed out early to beat the traffic, had to make few stops and even would up getting to picnic for breakfast. This was one time inventions such as Fiber One Bars and bottled smoothies make perfect sense. Munching on these as well as fruit, while watching the earth wake up from it's winter slumber is something everyone should experience at least once in their life. It can make the rest of the busy times in our life a little more bearable. After breakfast we pushed on to our final destination- Holy Hill in Hubertus , Wisconsin.
Not our first trip there, and hopefully not our last. It is a beautiful peaceful place and we all benefited from the day to recharge our batteries. After that we stopped off at Golden Coral for a substantial lunch and then made our way back home, stopping off at a state park to stretch our legs and play on the swings. I think every adult should take a moment to swing on a swing set. It puts things in their real perspective , as well as being a lot of fun.
Today is going to be a day of grocery shopping and Holy Thursday services, so we began the day with our usual oatmeal breakfast. Today's bowl was pumpkin oats with bran, flax, crasins and goji berries and olive oil. I surprised my son with putting a Peep on the top of his. This year at long last he seems to really understand things like Easter, and it's kind of fun to do silly things to mark the difference.
Not our first trip there, and hopefully not our last. It is a beautiful peaceful place and we all benefited from the day to recharge our batteries. After that we stopped off at Golden Coral for a substantial lunch and then made our way back home, stopping off at a state park to stretch our legs and play on the swings. I think every adult should take a moment to swing on a swing set. It puts things in their real perspective , as well as being a lot of fun.
Today is going to be a day of grocery shopping and Holy Thursday services, so we began the day with our usual oatmeal breakfast. Today's bowl was pumpkin oats with bran, flax, crasins and goji berries and olive oil. I surprised my son with putting a Peep on the top of his. This year at long last he seems to really understand things like Easter, and it's kind of fun to do silly things to mark the difference.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Retreat
Taking a one day retreat tomorrow before the business of Easter. Good news is a lot of walking will happen. Not so good news is that three meals will be eaten out of the house. I am packing breakfast ( yogurt smoothies, fruit, Fiber one bars and cheese), but the rest of the day will be up for grabs. Not too worried, as it is equally as important to nourish the spirit as well as the body.
Morning passion
Now here is a breakfast so good it will inspire you to get out of bed no matter what the day holds. I present Dark Chocolate Oatmeal
1 /2 cup old fashioned oats, barley flakes and rye flakes
1 cup water
1 T Hersheys Dark Cocoa powder
1 T brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
cook till thick, top with 1 t olive oil, 1 T wheat bran , 1 T crasins and 2 T ground flax.
( the dark cocoa powder , olive oil and ground flax give quite an Omega 3 punch !)
Spending another day steam cleaning rugs. It would be nice to do it all in one day, but you have to allow for drying time and so forth. I like doing this job when I have something that actually works !
Monday, April 6, 2009
When did I get to be such a mom person ??
For some reason , yesterday morning I spent more time cooking and doing things kitchen wise than anything else. Ever have days like that ? I made a batch of chicken sausage sandwiches for the freezer ( hubby's lunch), strained another batch of chicken stock, got veggies chopped up for dinner, and it just felt like I was never going to get out of the kitchen . A thought crossed my mind and made me laugh- if I had not learned to be around food and not let it tempt me the last time I did weight loss, I would be doomed to failure this time ! When you are a mom of young kids or special needs kids, I think you wind up making some kind of food thing for someone at least 30 times a day . Or as one of my sisters calls it "the 30 meal a day cooking plan". There seems to always be meal prep or snack prep or clean up or meal planning or bulk cooking or something going on .
After that grand excitement , hubby got home from morning services , we grabbed lunch and went out to do some shopping. I got a new Bissell Pro Heat carpet steam cleaner. This fact makes me moe excited than the prospect of a trip to Disneyland ! We have tan wall to wall carpet, and I HATE carpeting because it is never really clean. Tan carpeting anyplace where living things reside is proof that there are Sadists in the world of Interior Design. We had an old steam cleaner that does not use heat or scrubs, and it seems to do more to annoy the dirt than lift it. Now that we are on spring break , I get to spend the week playing with my new toy. I don't know if that is a sad fact or what. I am begining to remind myself of a scene in the movie For Better or Worse where the Amish woman tells Kristie Alley that they can now have some fun by scrubbing the floors.
For dinner I made a batch of noodleless lasagna in the crock pot. I took a chub of ground turkey, browned it, added a jar of spaghetti sauce , and then sliced eggplant, zuchinni, mushrooms and onions. Layer the veggies, the sauce and 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzerella in a crockpot and
cook on low for 5 hrs. We had this with a simple spring greens salad and diet soda. A little watery, but very tasty. I made it without noodles because I have yet to find any whole grain or low carb lasagna noodles in any of the markets we visit. It also gives a good reason to add eztra veggies to a dish that would not normally be that heavy in veggies for our table.
I plan on having fun moving furnature and steam cleaning my carpet today. Hope yours is a great one !
After that grand excitement , hubby got home from morning services , we grabbed lunch and went out to do some shopping. I got a new Bissell Pro Heat carpet steam cleaner. This fact makes me moe excited than the prospect of a trip to Disneyland ! We have tan wall to wall carpet, and I HATE carpeting because it is never really clean. Tan carpeting anyplace where living things reside is proof that there are Sadists in the world of Interior Design. We had an old steam cleaner that does not use heat or scrubs, and it seems to do more to annoy the dirt than lift it. Now that we are on spring break , I get to spend the week playing with my new toy. I don't know if that is a sad fact or what. I am begining to remind myself of a scene in the movie For Better or Worse where the Amish woman tells Kristie Alley that they can now have some fun by scrubbing the floors.
For dinner I made a batch of noodleless lasagna in the crock pot. I took a chub of ground turkey, browned it, added a jar of spaghetti sauce , and then sliced eggplant, zuchinni, mushrooms and onions. Layer the veggies, the sauce and 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzerella in a crockpot and
cook on low for 5 hrs. We had this with a simple spring greens salad and diet soda. A little watery, but very tasty. I made it without noodles because I have yet to find any whole grain or low carb lasagna noodles in any of the markets we visit. It also gives a good reason to add eztra veggies to a dish that would not normally be that heavy in veggies for our table.I plan on having fun moving furnature and steam cleaning my carpet today. Hope yours is a great one !
Sunday, April 5, 2009
New week, new plan
Busy day yesterday with shopping, errands and spending some silly time with the family. However, I did squeeze out a few minutes to do some research for my own curiosity. Question at hand was can nuts, even it eaten in small portions and within the boundaries of a daily caloric intake make you gain weight ? The answer is yes, but not for the reasons you may think. The reason is due to a ratio of fatty acids in the intake. While nuts and seeds and healthy oils are all critical for health , they like anything else need to be eaten in a proper balance. Not all healthy fats are exactly the same. They fall into classifications called Omega 3, 6 and 9. The numbers have to do with the molecular structure of the fat itself. Two of the most important of these to overall health are the 3's and 6's. The 3's are found in flax seed, flax oil, olive oil, fish oil, dark leafy greens and more. The 6's found in abundance in most nuts, evening primrose oil, and grapeseed oil. While all contain essential fatty acids, each works in the body in slightly different ways, and if kept in proper ration will do much to improve your health- and even aid in weight loss. That ratio is 3 to 1- 3 of the omega 3's and 1 of the omega 6's. If you eat a lot of nuts and seeds, the ratio is sent off balance, and people with a defrficiancy in essential fatty acids can gain. Conditions that indicate a defficiancy include autoimmune disorders such as arthritis, diabetis , metabolic syndrome , PCOS and more. For almost the last year I have been taking daily supplements of flax oil, evening primrose oil and eating either olive oil or grapeseed oil in cooking. Daily I have been eating flaxseed meal , a seed /nut mix and almonds, all with in the range of points I am allowed, all within my caloric needs, exercising 5-6 days a week, getting in the health goals, gettimng in more than enough water and still either maintaining or gaining weight. I have tried changing the type of exercise as well as the amount, cutting out caffine, severely limiting grains and carbs, and nothing works. Could this balance of the essential fatty acid ratio be the thing that is making me stall and gain ? Perhaps. I am going to try to fo a whole week without nuts , without evening primrose and increasing my flax oil tablet dose to see if it gets things moving. All I can do is try and I will report on the progress.
Today's breakfast- the new mix
Crockpot Pumpkin grains- barley, steel cut oats and wheat berries with pumpkin, molasses and cinnamon
topped with 2 Tground flaxseed, 1 T crasins and 1 T wheat bran
1 t olive oil
yo plus yogert, water and coffee on the side
I am really hoping this change in the EFA balance does the trick ! I am feeling not only fat and bloated of late but just plain not right. My arthritis has been flaired up and it makes any and all forms of exercise painful to start out with. When you keep putting in serious efforts with no results for so long, ,it gets very discouraging and really hard to stay motivated. However, I know that if I do not try, ,nothing will ever change, and things will only get worse.
So here is to a great week, everyone !!!
Today's breakfast- the new mix
Crockpot Pumpkin grains- barley, steel cut oats and wheat berries with pumpkin, molasses and cinnamon
topped with 2 Tground flaxseed, 1 T crasins and 1 T wheat bran
1 t olive oil
yo plus yogert, water and coffee on the side
I am really hoping this change in the EFA balance does the trick ! I am feeling not only fat and bloated of late but just plain not right. My arthritis has been flaired up and it makes any and all forms of exercise painful to start out with. When you keep putting in serious efforts with no results for so long, ,it gets very discouraging and really hard to stay motivated. However, I know that if I do not try, ,nothing will ever change, and things will only get worse.
So here is to a great week, everyone !!!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Playing with food pt 2
A salute to those marshmallow chicks you find in the stores these days- The Biggest Loser Peeps Edition !
Weigh in and more playing with food
First weigh in news.
Me- up 2.2
Hubby lost 1.6
son up 1.8
Two factors- birthday celebration and I think I may be allergic to nuts. I went through a period of time where if I ate them my throat would swell up, and suddenly it disappeared. However, this morning I was reminded that allergic reactions manifest in different ways, one of them being swellings in the body . I have been having both a seed nut mix and peanut butter with my morning oatmeal mix , and perhaps that is the culprit. We were eating the same seed nut mix in salads as well. I love nuts, and I really missed them in my diet ( the taste, the essential fatty acids and more). Once the allergy "disappeared", I included them often. Perhaps I was wrong.
Anyway, here is another example of playing with food- the psanky. I make these every year, more out of a personal satisfaction thing than because of being good at it. I did not thing I would get to make them this year, but after school yesterday I stole some time from the day and life to sit down and make a few. I don't know if I will make any more this year, but at least I did a few !
Me- up 2.2
Hubby lost 1.6
son up 1.8
Two factors- birthday celebration and I think I may be allergic to nuts. I went through a period of time where if I ate them my throat would swell up, and suddenly it disappeared. However, this morning I was reminded that allergic reactions manifest in different ways, one of them being swellings in the body . I have been having both a seed nut mix and peanut butter with my morning oatmeal mix , and perhaps that is the culprit. We were eating the same seed nut mix in salads as well. I love nuts, and I really missed them in my diet ( the taste, the essential fatty acids and more). Once the allergy "disappeared", I included them often. Perhaps I was wrong.
Anyway, here is another example of playing with food- the psanky. I make these every year, more out of a personal satisfaction thing than because of being good at it. I did not thing I would get to make them this year, but after school yesterday I stole some time from the day and life to sit down and make a few. I don't know if I will make any more this year, but at least I did a few !
Friday, April 3, 2009
Schools Out !!!
We finished up early today so that we could jump fully into spring break . It has been a long stretch of school, or at least it is the way it feels, and we are both very eager for a two week break.
Son was looking for lunch a little earlier than usual today, partially out of a desire to have All Bran crackers and laughing cow cheese again. It is so funny to me. Before our weight loss journey he really did not like crackers of any kind because they are crunchy and rough feeling to his tongue. Now his texture issues have almost completely displeasure, and he has become very adventurous with regards to food and textures. Now , not only are plain crackers okay, but he really raves the grainy, whole grain sorts. All Bran, Wasa,rye krisp and so much more.
Son was looking for lunch a little earlier than usual today, partially out of a desire to have All Bran crackers and laughing cow cheese again. It is so funny to me. Before our weight loss journey he really did not like crackers of any kind because they are crunchy and rough feeling to his tongue. Now his texture issues have almost completely displeasure, and he has become very adventurous with regards to food and textures. Now , not only are plain crackers okay, but he really raves the grainy, whole grain sorts. All Bran, Wasa,rye krisp and so much more.
lentil soup, All Bran herb crackers, Laughing cow lite
apple, Yo Plus Digestive yogurt
Diet 7 up with Antioxidants
apple, Yo Plus Digestive yogurt
Diet 7 up with Antioxidants
Why he is still so wowed by diet soda with anti-antioxidants is beyond me, but as long as we are all getting in plenty of water besides the soda, I am fine with that.
Plans are for me to catch up on personal studies, experiment with some different kinds of exercise and a day trip to a shrine in Wisconsin. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will be able to do a lot more outside on our break time !
Weigh in tomorrow. I have no guesses or expectations on what the scale will do for all of us.
Plans are for me to catch up on personal studies, experiment with some different kinds of exercise and a day trip to a shrine in Wisconsin. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will be able to do a lot more outside on our break time !
Weigh in tomorrow. I have no guesses or expectations on what the scale will do for all of us.
Playing with food
My son likes to read over my shoulder as I visit different blogs, and any blogger who posts food pictures is of particular interest to him. Yesterday he saw Kath Eats Real Food posting pictures of her oatmeal with figs, and he decided we had to try this for ourselves, san so this morning this is exactly what we did
Oats, Barley and rye flakes
figs, seed nut mix, ground flax, wheat bran
grapeseed oil, peanut butter
It was a very rich sort of taste and a more filling consistency that my normal bowl of oats. I think I may be getting too stuck on the same breakfast these days, and i need to do some more playing with oats.
I went shopping again last night, but this time at the Goodwill. While still in transition size wise I don't feel comfortable spending a lot of money on clothing. Plus, Goodwill prevents things from entering the landfills, provides jobs to many as well as teaching useful skills, so it's a win win thing. I looked through the racks but nothing jumped out and said buy me- at least clothing wise. This little gem did , and it fits with a few things I collect
It is a picture hand made from straw from Poland. You do not find these things very often in this area. My mother is of Ukrainian descent, and for some reason I love to make psanky and collect Russian/Ukranian bits of folk art. I have not had the opportunity to make any eggs this year, so finding this little picture satisfies an need I feel. If I cannot play with food in the form of eggs this year, then i get to find and cherish a peice made from wheat straw by another !
Oats, Barley and rye flakes
figs, seed nut mix, ground flax, wheat bran
grapeseed oil, peanut butter
I went shopping again last night, but this time at the Goodwill. While still in transition size wise I don't feel comfortable spending a lot of money on clothing. Plus, Goodwill prevents things from entering the landfills, provides jobs to many as well as teaching useful skills, so it's a win win thing. I looked through the racks but nothing jumped out and said buy me- at least clothing wise. This little gem did , and it fits with a few things I collect
It is a picture hand made from straw from Poland. You do not find these things very often in this area. My mother is of Ukrainian descent, and for some reason I love to make psanky and collect Russian/Ukranian bits of folk art. I have not had the opportunity to make any eggs this year, so finding this little picture satisfies an need I feel. If I cannot play with food in the form of eggs this year, then i get to find and cherish a peice made from wheat straw by another !
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Clothes shopping
Last night out of a feeling of restlessness and the need to just move in some way, we went out to Target to let son spend some birthday money and attempt clothes shopping. I am now solidly in the normal size department( yay !!!), but I am finding I need help. After a whole life of being a big girl with no fashion choices, I am finding that I am a bigger normal size gal with absolutely no fashion sense. Because I have never had a choice with clothing except for looking like a tent or a mumu, I have aboslutely no idea what goes with what. And then there is the dilemma of what underwear works with what. Let's face it- sports bras do not work with one shoulder tops. Or perhaps they do- I really have no clue. So I spend about an hour wandering around the clothes department, baffled, feelingf sort of like an old lady in Vegas wandering from machine to machine with her cup of nickles clutched to her chest.
Now here's a thought. Remeber The Fab Five and how they took straight men with no clothing sense and transformed them into polished, well groomed adult men ? Why don't they offer to do a show called Queer Eye for the Formerly Obese Woman in Transition ? (okay, still obese but getting there). They would take this weeks subject and lead them into the world of color choices, deign options and even what footwear might go with it. Show you how to take those things that sort of resemble Amish meets leather and make them work for those exccursions to places like Doctors offices, the library and even a hot date at the grocery store. Make up tips that would allow you to take your look from Soccer Mom to Gym and then home for a smoldering evening with the washing machine. It should not be hard, but it is when you have never had an option. Because of my size , I missed the whole "Girl 101 " thing, and now I will pay for it. I have this fear that I will wind up on Mr Blackwells list of people who are not celebrities but dress badly.
But I am going to have fun learning how to change that ! I have at least figured out that sweat pants and tee shirts are not meant to wear everywhere. And that there is a variety of bra styles for a real reason. Who knew ???
Now here's a thought. Remeber The Fab Five and how they took straight men with no clothing sense and transformed them into polished, well groomed adult men ? Why don't they offer to do a show called Queer Eye for the Formerly Obese Woman in Transition ? (okay, still obese but getting there). They would take this weeks subject and lead them into the world of color choices, deign options and even what footwear might go with it. Show you how to take those things that sort of resemble Amish meets leather and make them work for those exccursions to places like Doctors offices, the library and even a hot date at the grocery store. Make up tips that would allow you to take your look from Soccer Mom to Gym and then home for a smoldering evening with the washing machine. It should not be hard, but it is when you have never had an option. Because of my size , I missed the whole "Girl 101 " thing, and now I will pay for it. I have this fear that I will wind up on Mr Blackwells list of people who are not celebrities but dress badly.
But I am going to have fun learning how to change that ! I have at least figured out that sweat pants and tee shirts are not meant to wear everywhere. And that there is a variety of bra styles for a real reason. Who knew ???
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Aplause, Aplause !!!!
I want to thank Nicole from last nights Biggest Loser episode for being a very public example of a very important truth in life. Two actually. First, for proving that you do not need a trainer to lose weight. Second proof, that weight loss IS NOT simply a matter of eating less and moving more. There are many, many other factors involved, and a big one is the endocrine system. Stress plays absolute havoc with the way it operates, and can make people gain weight inspite of the best efforts put forth. Nicole became very stressed from the game play, as well as the change of environment. Result was a woman who has lost 85 pounds at home on her own gains 5 lbs in one week on the ranch. While I feel very sorry for Nicole herself, I wanted to stand up and dance on the ceiling for this to happen in such a public forum .
Real life is not The Biggest Loser Ranch, but there can certainly be game play involved in weight loss circles. Bad group dynamics , self imposed gurus who like to insit on email groups that there way is the only way to lose weight, bloggers who spend more time posting how others are just lazy and even those who beat up on themselves for being human. All contribute to dieting stress, and all are counter productive.
Why don't we all, as weight loss bloggers and people who chat via email , twitter and so forth, work on supporting and nurtuting each other ? Why don't we all actively try to create a small corner of the world where those who are like yourself on a journey, come to find one peaceful, restorative moment where they can feel like they are okay?
Let me be the first. No matter who you are, no matter what you are doing, you are doing your best. You are a beautiful soul inhabiting a human body that, no matter what it's size, is a miraculous device that really is perfect in it's inperfections. You are beautiful, you are loved and you are a creation of great worth.
Real life is not The Biggest Loser Ranch, but there can certainly be game play involved in weight loss circles. Bad group dynamics , self imposed gurus who like to insit on email groups that there way is the only way to lose weight, bloggers who spend more time posting how others are just lazy and even those who beat up on themselves for being human. All contribute to dieting stress, and all are counter productive.
Why don't we all, as weight loss bloggers and people who chat via email , twitter and so forth, work on supporting and nurtuting each other ? Why don't we all actively try to create a small corner of the world where those who are like yourself on a journey, come to find one peaceful, restorative moment where they can feel like they are okay?
Let me be the first. No matter who you are, no matter what you are doing, you are doing your best. You are a beautiful soul inhabiting a human body that, no matter what it's size, is a miraculous device that really is perfect in it's inperfections. You are beautiful, you are loved and you are a creation of great worth.
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