So, I am sitting on the couch at one of my bestest friend's. Watching and yelling at baseball. I love sports. I mentioned a while ago that I used to play sports. In high school I played basketball, football and sometimes ran around the track. I worked at the gym and every afternoon I would play basketball with my best friend. He won every time but it was fun. And it was exercise. I was busy. And active. I still love sports. But now I sit on my butt and watch them.
In college I went to a small school and we had a hockey team. They played in a tiny rink and we went and yelled and cheered for them. It was so much fun. The players would slam each other against the plexiglass and we would listen to the requisite thumping music and cheer every time they rammed the opponent into the wall.
Of course the whole sports thing got quite a bit of energy out. Still does. It was great to freak the dogs out when the players hit a home run. Now I need to just get off my butt and start exercising. I have some free time tomorrow so that may well be the key - get outside in the wind and rain and go walk in the leaves. (yet another favorite past time)
Yesterday I was good, and then last night I went over the limit with one of the most fantastic burritos I've made in a long time. What can I say? I CRAVED it. And I ate it. So today I only ate when I was hungry and yeah, it's 9pm and I still have 17 points for the day. I had yogurt and popcorn. Yep. That's all. Of course I had 4 of the light and fit yogurts.....but yeah. I'm going to have a burrito on the way home and I have enough points left to not only eat it but enjoy it guilt free!!!
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Week 13, Day 3 - slippers rock
So, it's cold here now. I love this time of year. The leaves are turning colors. It's windy. Rain rushes in and out of the sky every 10 or 15 minutes. And I get to wear sweaters!!! This fall I get to dip into the sweaters that were too snug to wear last year. :)
Today was another good points day. I am seriously a life-long fan of the Smart Ones brand now. Thank you Mel for pointing them out to me!! Had a breakfast sandwich and a yogurt. Then at lunch I had a Campbell's Select soup with Cheezits. Forgot to bring any tomatoes with me and oh man I discovered that some garden fresh tomatoes are NOT as great as others. Someone had brought a bag of tomatoes in and I picked one out to have with a piece of home-made wheat bread......yeah. I'm not going to say it was a rotten tomato. But I am going to tell you it took quite a while to get the taste out. Suffice it to say, the bug I almost ate a couple of months ago now has a close runner-up for nasty taste award. Then I made myself a stir fry with Fry-Chick (Worthington) for dinner and had one of my Jello Dulce du leches for dessert. Met my points exactly.
So I spent most of the evening reading and writing emails and enjoyed being in my robe and slippers. If this is what it's going to be like to get old bring it on. I'll dye my hair purple and wear the robe all the time. :)
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Today was another good points day. I am seriously a life-long fan of the Smart Ones brand now. Thank you Mel for pointing them out to me!! Had a breakfast sandwich and a yogurt. Then at lunch I had a Campbell's Select soup with Cheezits. Forgot to bring any tomatoes with me and oh man I discovered that some garden fresh tomatoes are NOT as great as others. Someone had brought a bag of tomatoes in and I picked one out to have with a piece of home-made wheat bread......yeah. I'm not going to say it was a rotten tomato. But I am going to tell you it took quite a while to get the taste out. Suffice it to say, the bug I almost ate a couple of months ago now has a close runner-up for nasty taste award. Then I made myself a stir fry with Fry-Chick (Worthington) for dinner and had one of my Jello Dulce du leches for dessert. Met my points exactly.
So I spent most of the evening reading and writing emails and enjoyed being in my robe and slippers. If this is what it's going to be like to get old bring it on. I'll dye my hair purple and wear the robe all the time. :)
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Monday, October 25, 2010
Week 13, Day 2 - uhhh.....
Yeah, I have no idea what to write about tonight. It's a cold and rainy night and I spent the evening in my robe and slippers, listening through my music on iTunes trying to make a playlist. Ahhh good times. Dinner was tea and salad, a Smart Ones dinner (Rice & beans) and a gardenburger sandwich (yeah 'cause I'm random like that). OOh! I just realized I did have a small triumph today. They had yet ANOTHER potluck at work today and I portioned out my choices and stayed under 8 points. (probably less but I rounded up on the potatos)
Because I knew we were having that this morning I didn't bring a lot to eat for the rest of the day and had a yogurt and my current favorite snack: Jello Sugar Free Dulce Du Leche cups (1 point). Started adding a little exercise back into things. My friend Laurie stopped by and we went for a short, mini-walk in the wind and rain. And then had chiropractor on the way home. One of the things I do at the chiro is some traction on my neck and for this little magik move I have to kind of reverse wall-sit. Facing the wall and standing with knees bent for a count of 10, times 10. And that's been helping the leg muscles.
So, because I don't really know what to blog about I went to look at the weight watchers website and found an article on cravings and because it's Halloween week and there's candy all over the place....
Decode Your Cravings - Article by Sandra Gordon (summarized by your's truly)
Apparently 97% of women and 68% of men experience cravings, according to a study conducted at Canada's McMaster University in Ontario.
Shockingly (sarcasm alert) there are any number of different opinions on what causes cravings. Some think it's because we crave nutrients. There are psychological components to cravings - for instance if you are too restrictive (i.e. don't think about a giant hot fudge sundae with whipped cream, nuts, cherry and a big old glob of hot fudge on top......try not to think about it.....yeah....) you probably need to start adding little things that you enjoy in your diet. (May I suggest 100 calorie snack packs? You get to eat the WHOLE bag. )
Cravings can be emotional - triggered by stress, anxiety, guilt, anger.... (hello read my blog back a month or so ago...search for the title "anger") Feelings like this can lead to craving foods that cause us pleasure (see the mouth watering I got by just typing that description of the sundae). Cravings can come from positive emotions too: see eating at a party....
So, #1 to curbing the craving is identifying where it's coming from. Then try:
Distracting - go for a walk, read something to take your mind off it.
Fake it - find the lowest calorie version of what you crave...(100 calorie snack packs??)
Feed it - if you can't get away from the craving go out and feed it....just order from the kids' menu
Dig deeper - get to the core of where the craving is coming from. Chances are you won't have gotten rid of it by just pigging out...but if you can figure out what your triggers are you are probably better prepared for the next time there's a big vat of pea salad (or whatever you crave...hey don't judge!).
Yeah, I am a big fan of digging deeper. Eating for pain control or for boredom or "just 'cause" is always a symptom. And until we can get rid of the thing causing it we're just going to have to keep shopping for drawstring pants. (not that there's anything wrong with that)
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Because I knew we were having that this morning I didn't bring a lot to eat for the rest of the day and had a yogurt and my current favorite snack: Jello Sugar Free Dulce Du Leche cups (1 point). Started adding a little exercise back into things. My friend Laurie stopped by and we went for a short, mini-walk in the wind and rain. And then had chiropractor on the way home. One of the things I do at the chiro is some traction on my neck and for this little magik move I have to kind of reverse wall-sit. Facing the wall and standing with knees bent for a count of 10, times 10. And that's been helping the leg muscles.
So, because I don't really know what to blog about I went to look at the weight watchers website and found an article on cravings and because it's Halloween week and there's candy all over the place....
Decode Your Cravings - Article by Sandra Gordon (summarized by your's truly)
Apparently 97% of women and 68% of men experience cravings, according to a study conducted at Canada's McMaster University in Ontario.
Shockingly (sarcasm alert) there are any number of different opinions on what causes cravings. Some think it's because we crave nutrients. There are psychological components to cravings - for instance if you are too restrictive (i.e. don't think about a giant hot fudge sundae with whipped cream, nuts, cherry and a big old glob of hot fudge on top......try not to think about it.....yeah....) you probably need to start adding little things that you enjoy in your diet. (May I suggest 100 calorie snack packs? You get to eat the WHOLE bag. )
Cravings can be emotional - triggered by stress, anxiety, guilt, anger.... (hello read my blog back a month or so ago...search for the title "anger") Feelings like this can lead to craving foods that cause us pleasure (see the mouth watering I got by just typing that description of the sundae). Cravings can come from positive emotions too: see eating at a party....
So, #1 to curbing the craving is identifying where it's coming from. Then try:
Distracting - go for a walk, read something to take your mind off it.
Fake it - find the lowest calorie version of what you crave...(100 calorie snack packs??)
Feed it - if you can't get away from the craving go out and feed it....just order from the kids' menu
Dig deeper - get to the core of where the craving is coming from. Chances are you won't have gotten rid of it by just pigging out...but if you can figure out what your triggers are you are probably better prepared for the next time there's a big vat of pea salad (or whatever you crave...hey don't judge!).
Yeah, I am a big fan of digging deeper. Eating for pain control or for boredom or "just 'cause" is always a symptom. And until we can get rid of the thing causing it we're just going to have to keep shopping for drawstring pants. (not that there's anything wrong with that)
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Week 13 - Weigh In Day
It's official. 31 pounds down. :) And I went and celebrated by going to one of my favoritest places, an Arabian restaurant. YUMMY. Veggie mezza is: hummus, tabouleh, veggie grape leaves, falafels, fresh bread. I had a mint tea and a glass of red wine too. I had coffee for breakfast. I wasn't hungry for most of the day and then when I did get hungry we were going out to dinner. Lucky for me the veggie mezza is small portions. But it's a lot of portions. So I know I haven't gotten over my points for the day, but I haven't gotten my exercise in.
I need to start figuring exercise into the picture.
But for now I'm gonna be happy cause I'm OVER 30 DOWN!!!!!
One Day. One Pound. One Step at a Time.
~N
I need to start figuring exercise into the picture.
But for now I'm gonna be happy cause I'm OVER 30 DOWN!!!!!
One Day. One Pound. One Step at a Time.
~N
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Week 12, day 6 - FINALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY!!!!!!
Guess who's over 30 pounds lighter than she was 12 weeks ago??????????
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Week 12 Day 5 -
Dear Diary. Oh wait. Wrong blog. LOL. Kidding. Sometimes I feel like this is my confessional. It is my confessional actually. Last night I was talking about accountability on here and it's true. I think about what I'm going to have to blog about when I make the decision to eat or not to eat something during the day.
Today I did go over on my daily points. By 1 point. But I also had a donut (gasp!) today. And lemme say - a fat person just having ONE donut is a victory indeed. Just ask Homer. (Simpson) So yeah I would have been totally fine but we decided to get Thai food for dinner and I did NOT measure the rice. I know better. And I'm getting better.
So, all the usual suspects today: Dannon Light & Fit, cherry tomatos, Sandwich thins with tofurky and swiss, Campbells Select Light soup (that's a LOT of soup for low points), cheezits (it's a lot easier to just eat 14 now than it was the first time I counted them out), a donut (yeah...7 points.....NOT worth the points, really), Tom Yum Soup, and some sort of other stuff that I can't remember but had tofu, veggies, spices and rice. I think that really I can pretty much do without rice in my diet anymore. I used to eat it all the time. Now? Seems like wasted calories to me. (YAY ME, that's a big change in my thinking)
So, this week has felt better than last. And I'm hoping that since the pain is getting better I will be able to start getting exercise in again. Something small. Maybe that list I put up here a while back...walk 5 minutes and do 2 minutes of something else (probably not jumping jacks with my back... but maybe some Wii)
And drinking more water. I know that for sure because well...cause I have to get off my butt more to go pee! Ok, TMI moment over. Janice, I haven't made those muffins yet....I'm thinking since there's no big crazy parties this weekend I might break out the cooking. (LOOK OUT!) It's ok, I have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen just waiting.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Today I did go over on my daily points. By 1 point. But I also had a donut (gasp!) today. And lemme say - a fat person just having ONE donut is a victory indeed. Just ask Homer. (Simpson) So yeah I would have been totally fine but we decided to get Thai food for dinner and I did NOT measure the rice. I know better. And I'm getting better.
So, all the usual suspects today: Dannon Light & Fit, cherry tomatos, Sandwich thins with tofurky and swiss, Campbells Select Light soup (that's a LOT of soup for low points), cheezits (it's a lot easier to just eat 14 now than it was the first time I counted them out), a donut (yeah...7 points.....NOT worth the points, really), Tom Yum Soup, and some sort of other stuff that I can't remember but had tofu, veggies, spices and rice. I think that really I can pretty much do without rice in my diet anymore. I used to eat it all the time. Now? Seems like wasted calories to me. (YAY ME, that's a big change in my thinking)
So, this week has felt better than last. And I'm hoping that since the pain is getting better I will be able to start getting exercise in again. Something small. Maybe that list I put up here a while back...walk 5 minutes and do 2 minutes of something else (probably not jumping jacks with my back... but maybe some Wii)
And drinking more water. I know that for sure because well...cause I have to get off my butt more to go pee! Ok, TMI moment over. Janice, I haven't made those muffins yet....I'm thinking since there's no big crazy parties this weekend I might break out the cooking. (LOOK OUT!) It's ok, I have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen just waiting.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Week 12 Day 4 - Cheater Cheater quiche eater (ok, not today)
So, the president's in town today. Lucky for me it's my short day so I was not stuck in the inevitable traffic jam that ensued. Another great thing about today? It was day 2 of being at or under my points AND I got to go to my chiropractor. I don't care what anyone else says - this works for me. Today I had my first massage. Ok, I had a massage one other time, it was my birthday and I think it was in 1998 or 1999. But today I got 50 minutes of fabulous relaxation. I felt so great when she was done. And then the doc did an adjustment, including pulling on my right leg which made me laugh but it made me feel better so hey!
Yep, I was good today. I logged all my food at work, printed it and promptly left it on the printer when I left. But I know what I had. I went back to basics: 2 Light & Fit Yogurts (right now there's a special thing they are doing where they will donate 10cents every time you log in one of the codes from the tops to breast cancer research - very cool), 1 string cheese for breakfast. (Craving dairy this week) Campbells Select Light itialian noodles/vegetables soup, 14 cheezits, a sandwich with tofurky and swiss cheese, 2 string cheeses (light - and yeah that's a lot of dairy but I'm tellin ya I crave dairy this week) for lunch, drank a big glass of water right after coming home from the chiropractor and had home made Pho with tofu and a peanut butter and sugar free apricot jam sandwich (sandwich thins) for dessert. Just before bed I had 2 more of the Light & Fits and more water.
Accountability is key for my success. I know this. And this blog is part of my accountability.
Today's inspirational information is found in the weight watcher website: an article entitled "8 ways Not to Cheat on a Diet." :)
Article by Sally Hammond, from www.weightwatchers.com
1. Plan for treats. It's gonna happen. Plan for it. Savor it.
2. Put your pantry on a diet. If what you have handy to eat is healthy then you're halfway there. You should see my fridge now....Bob from The Biggest Loser said that he never has anything in his fridge that would last longer than 2 weeks. I give myself a bye for alcohol and condiments but the rest? Yeah, you have to eat salad and cucumbers soon...otherwise they get reallllly gross.
3. Choose your friends wisely. Make sure you surround yourself with people that will help support you in your healthy choices. Probably not the ones that want to go eat mexican food every night.
4. Count the cost as well as calories. Now this one's a great idea. They suggest paying yourself whenever you meet a goal or every day you stay in your plan. And then rewarding yourself with something great. I have something great that I'm working towards. It's a big trip. And I think this is the perfect excuse to save up.
5. Picture yourself. Oh man. It says take some not-so-flattering pictures of yourself, or find them, and put them near the snack jar or near the fridge. Wherever you are tempted to cheat. I know just the picture and it's going to have to go somewhere discreet at work.....The goal is to remind yourself of the positive changes you are trying to make in your life.
6. Surround yourself with witnesses. Give your friends the permission they need to remind you of the importance of sticking with the plan. Just so you know - YOU are my witnesses. That's what this blog is all about. So, for god's sakes if you see me walking by with a flat of quiche or a vat of pea salad....trip me! And then go for a walk with me. (and maybe give me some crystal light, that's zero points)
7. Check up on yourself. (I'm just going to copy this one word for word all the others have been summarized) ''Write down every single thing that passes your lips each day. If you often eat when you're upset or stressed, try to record this too. If you gobbled up a candy bar after arguing with your partner, you probably need to find alternative ways of coping with your moods. Next time try phoning a friend or going for a stress-relieving walk." Me? I need to cope with pain. And keep going to the chiropractor and lessening the pain.
8. Keep a sense of porportion. Everybody slips. Everybody cheats. And the only way to stop cheating is to identify what caused it. Take responsibility and don't give up. Because giving up is cheating yourself.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Yep, I was good today. I logged all my food at work, printed it and promptly left it on the printer when I left. But I know what I had. I went back to basics: 2 Light & Fit Yogurts (right now there's a special thing they are doing where they will donate 10cents every time you log in one of the codes from the tops to breast cancer research - very cool), 1 string cheese for breakfast. (Craving dairy this week) Campbells Select Light itialian noodles/vegetables soup, 14 cheezits, a sandwich with tofurky and swiss cheese, 2 string cheeses (light - and yeah that's a lot of dairy but I'm tellin ya I crave dairy this week) for lunch, drank a big glass of water right after coming home from the chiropractor and had home made Pho with tofu and a peanut butter and sugar free apricot jam sandwich (sandwich thins) for dessert. Just before bed I had 2 more of the Light & Fits and more water.
Accountability is key for my success. I know this. And this blog is part of my accountability.
Today's inspirational information is found in the weight watcher website: an article entitled "8 ways Not to Cheat on a Diet." :)
Article by Sally Hammond, from www.weightwatchers.com
1. Plan for treats. It's gonna happen. Plan for it. Savor it.
2. Put your pantry on a diet. If what you have handy to eat is healthy then you're halfway there. You should see my fridge now....Bob from The Biggest Loser said that he never has anything in his fridge that would last longer than 2 weeks. I give myself a bye for alcohol and condiments but the rest? Yeah, you have to eat salad and cucumbers soon...otherwise they get reallllly gross.
3. Choose your friends wisely. Make sure you surround yourself with people that will help support you in your healthy choices. Probably not the ones that want to go eat mexican food every night.
4. Count the cost as well as calories. Now this one's a great idea. They suggest paying yourself whenever you meet a goal or every day you stay in your plan. And then rewarding yourself with something great. I have something great that I'm working towards. It's a big trip. And I think this is the perfect excuse to save up.
5. Picture yourself. Oh man. It says take some not-so-flattering pictures of yourself, or find them, and put them near the snack jar or near the fridge. Wherever you are tempted to cheat. I know just the picture and it's going to have to go somewhere discreet at work.....The goal is to remind yourself of the positive changes you are trying to make in your life.
6. Surround yourself with witnesses. Give your friends the permission they need to remind you of the importance of sticking with the plan. Just so you know - YOU are my witnesses. That's what this blog is all about. So, for god's sakes if you see me walking by with a flat of quiche or a vat of pea salad....trip me! And then go for a walk with me. (and maybe give me some crystal light, that's zero points)
7. Check up on yourself. (I'm just going to copy this one word for word all the others have been summarized) ''Write down every single thing that passes your lips each day. If you often eat when you're upset or stressed, try to record this too. If you gobbled up a candy bar after arguing with your partner, you probably need to find alternative ways of coping with your moods. Next time try phoning a friend or going for a stress-relieving walk." Me? I need to cope with pain. And keep going to the chiropractor and lessening the pain.
8. Keep a sense of porportion. Everybody slips. Everybody cheats. And the only way to stop cheating is to identify what caused it. Take responsibility and don't give up. Because giving up is cheating yourself.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Week 12 Day 3 - Pain relief in a quiche?
This post is for you Janice. It's for me also, but seriously I'm in pain and I would rather be in bed going to sleep but I need to talk about today.
So yet another potluck at work. Ok, so it wasn't a potluck. It was a breakfast celebration for the team. And it was really good. Broccoli quiche is what did it. I had a couple of pieces of fruit, half an english muffin with some home-made sugar free raspberry jam and one and a half pieces of quiche. That all would have been enough. (And I also had orange juice) But all throughout the day I caught myself walking by the table with the (cold) broccoli cheddar quiche. And about 4pm my back was hurting and I gave in. By the time I got home tonight I had zero points left. The only good news is that I had a smart ones dinner and a salad for dinner and still have weekly points left.
But I can identify, EASILY why I ate today. Pain. I realized it and by the time I got home I was telling myself that it's obviously not going to work. Pain is not fixed by food. Never has been. And if I was wearing a black shirt on the biggest loser Jillian would be kicking my (sore) butt.
So, I'm going to bed early. I'm drinking a big glass of water. And tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow I get to go to the chiropractor and that will help the pain. And I choose right now to make conscious choices to NOT eat to fix pain. That is an old habit. And I'm killing it right now.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
So yet another potluck at work. Ok, so it wasn't a potluck. It was a breakfast celebration for the team. And it was really good. Broccoli quiche is what did it. I had a couple of pieces of fruit, half an english muffin with some home-made sugar free raspberry jam and one and a half pieces of quiche. That all would have been enough. (And I also had orange juice) But all throughout the day I caught myself walking by the table with the (cold) broccoli cheddar quiche. And about 4pm my back was hurting and I gave in. By the time I got home tonight I had zero points left. The only good news is that I had a smart ones dinner and a salad for dinner and still have weekly points left.
But I can identify, EASILY why I ate today. Pain. I realized it and by the time I got home I was telling myself that it's obviously not going to work. Pain is not fixed by food. Never has been. And if I was wearing a black shirt on the biggest loser Jillian would be kicking my (sore) butt.
So, I'm going to bed early. I'm drinking a big glass of water. And tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow I get to go to the chiropractor and that will help the pain. And I choose right now to make conscious choices to NOT eat to fix pain. That is an old habit. And I'm killing it right now.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Monday, October 18, 2010
Week 12 - Day 2 - My x-ray says I'm unbalanced!
So, yesterday was weigh in day. And I am very happy to report that I did not gain anything back this week. Unfortunately I did not lose either. BUT I kinda expected that. I have been so tired and trying to get over this sickness as well as get to chiropractic appointments 3 times a week and get everything else done? Well let's just say that I don't have kids for a lot of reasons but 1 of them is that I am not good at managing my time and not spreading myself too thin, resulting in a crappy job for everything or some things getting completely ignored.
I am back to logging my food entries on the weight watchers website. I really believe (and there is plenty of evidence backing this up) that tracking and recording your food intake is key to success. I'm doing good with the portion control thing also but it helps that my roommate is being supportive. He is the cook, I think I've mentioned that. And he asks me "how many points is this?" when he makes something. Tonight he made Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup. Take a cube of boullion add chopped green onions, white mushrooms (I like baby bellas) and a stalk of lemon grass, cook to a boil and then add a block (7 oz) firm or extra firm tofu, cubed (can substitute chicken breast) and fresh cilantro. Pour into a bowl and add fresh leaf basil and a squeeze of lime. Add to taste Sriracha (hot pepper sauce) and salt to taste, or garlic. Totally great tasting and filling and a big bowl was only 5 points.
I am not exercising enough yet. Got my x-rays back and there are quite a few interesting things. I'm telling you it's a trip to see your own spinal column on film. My middle back actually curves over so my muscles are compensating and that causes a problem. I have a compression fracture in the middle of my back (kinda explains the burning pain that I figured was just due to work) and several bone spurs on my lower spine and degenerative disc disease. Going to the chiropractor has taught me a lot about what I need to do to help prevent major surgery in the future, and losing weight is part of that. OH and get this! Remember Wii telling me I'm "unbalanced"??? Turns out my right leg is shorter than my left leg and I over compensate and that explains why it said I don't stand more evenly balanced. Fascinating.
So, yeah, I'm still on antibiotics. Did well today on the points - still have 4 left actually and they're staying there. Going to bed early. Sleep is part of the plan.
And by the way - new favorite drink (hrrm, need to figure out the points on this one) equal parts Baileys, cinnamon schnapps and butterscotch schnapps. It's called an oatmeal cookie and MAN it's easy to drink!
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
I am back to logging my food entries on the weight watchers website. I really believe (and there is plenty of evidence backing this up) that tracking and recording your food intake is key to success. I'm doing good with the portion control thing also but it helps that my roommate is being supportive. He is the cook, I think I've mentioned that. And he asks me "how many points is this?" when he makes something. Tonight he made Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup. Take a cube of boullion add chopped green onions, white mushrooms (I like baby bellas) and a stalk of lemon grass, cook to a boil and then add a block (7 oz) firm or extra firm tofu, cubed (can substitute chicken breast) and fresh cilantro. Pour into a bowl and add fresh leaf basil and a squeeze of lime. Add to taste Sriracha (hot pepper sauce) and salt to taste, or garlic. Totally great tasting and filling and a big bowl was only 5 points.
I am not exercising enough yet. Got my x-rays back and there are quite a few interesting things. I'm telling you it's a trip to see your own spinal column on film. My middle back actually curves over so my muscles are compensating and that causes a problem. I have a compression fracture in the middle of my back (kinda explains the burning pain that I figured was just due to work) and several bone spurs on my lower spine and degenerative disc disease. Going to the chiropractor has taught me a lot about what I need to do to help prevent major surgery in the future, and losing weight is part of that. OH and get this! Remember Wii telling me I'm "unbalanced"??? Turns out my right leg is shorter than my left leg and I over compensate and that explains why it said I don't stand more evenly balanced. Fascinating.
So, yeah, I'm still on antibiotics. Did well today on the points - still have 4 left actually and they're staying there. Going to bed early. Sleep is part of the plan.
And by the way - new favorite drink (hrrm, need to figure out the points on this one) equal parts Baileys, cinnamon schnapps and butterscotch schnapps. It's called an oatmeal cookie and MAN it's easy to drink!
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Week 11 - Saturday
For the record: if you are already sick and you go to bed late and then still have to get up in the morning (vs the afternoon) you are going to still feel like crap the next day. And when the next day includes a party in the evening where you get dressed up (costumes) and stay up late again? Yeah this is not going to be the recouperative weekend.
I have however plotted out just exactly what bed I plan to pass out on at the friends' house tonight. If it's 2:30pm and I not only feel like crap but am still tired....unless I'm smart and willing to skip the party I had better plan a nap. Hmm. Maybe I'll take one right now.
~N
I have however plotted out just exactly what bed I plan to pass out on at the friends' house tonight. If it's 2:30pm and I not only feel like crap but am still tired....unless I'm smart and willing to skip the party I had better plan a nap. Hmm. Maybe I'll take one right now.
~N
Week 11 - *yawn* up too late
Did good today. Felt better. And tonight came home and the roommate made a bowl of Pho soup. Have you ever had this? I love it. It's Vietnamese noodle soup. Basically its chicken stock + tofu (or chicken) + green onions + portabella mushrooms. Bring to boil. Add noodles + cilantro. Turn off heat. Put in bowl and add fresh bean sprouts, basil and a squeeze of lime. I add chili sauce. MMMM Made me feel better.
I know that this weekend will help me get over the hump and next week I'm looking forward to feeling like me and getting active. Pretty sure I'm right about the same weight I was last week but the fact that it hasn't gone up is good. I'm looking at little things here kids.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
I know that this weekend will help me get over the hump and next week I'm looking forward to feeling like me and getting active. Pretty sure I'm right about the same weight I was last week but the fact that it hasn't gone up is good. I'm looking at little things here kids.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Week 11 - As the whorles are turned
So, the fingerprint person came to my work and I got to look closely at what each of my individual fingerprints look like. She showed me what's called the delta - pretty much looks like a tiny top of a mountain or the top of a triangle. And we all have them somewhere on our fingertips. Then where all the creases come together in the middle can be one big circle, or more like one of the cause ribbons (you know the pink ribbons you see everywhere for breast cancer awareness or red ribbons for AIDS awareness? yeah take that shape and some of your fingers may have something similar.) I sent the prints off for my official background check with the FBI (had it twice before but not in the state I currently work in). Step 1 down.
I discovered today that antibiotics can mess with hormone pills and I've got a dilly of a headache. But it's a 50/50 trade cause I have been able to breathe through my nose for at least 3 hours now....the test will be when I go to bed.
So, I put my portion control back into play again today. If you shop with portions in mind it's actually not hard to set yourself up for success in this area. I packed my lunch and didn't even eat it all. I bought a box of the 100 calorie Snack Right snacks - basically individually bagged up little cookies. That way people like me who would really rather just open a big box and pour them into our mouths have to actually OPEN the individual bags (2 points per bag). Bought more of the sugar free Jello pudding cups (I really love the Dulce du Leche ones....just sayin' they are only 1 point) and had some cherry tomatos and low fat cottage cheese. If I portion it out ahead of time I know how many points I'm going to eat. Plus I made an effort to drink more today, I love diet Peach Snapple and I found some on sale the last time I shopped so I took a bottle of that and had a vanilla coke zero as well. The big meal was when I got home - more harvest stew. YUM. I load mine up with garlic and cayenne (remembering to shake from the bottle not pour like I accidentally did last time....) and that helps me feel better too.
It was a better day today. I accomplished things I needed to do. Thank you Janice for stopping by and reminding me to smile. Smiling can make you feel better too. But now I need to go to bed....remember yesterday's information about sleep......yeah. G'night kiddos.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
I discovered today that antibiotics can mess with hormone pills and I've got a dilly of a headache. But it's a 50/50 trade cause I have been able to breathe through my nose for at least 3 hours now....the test will be when I go to bed.
So, I put my portion control back into play again today. If you shop with portions in mind it's actually not hard to set yourself up for success in this area. I packed my lunch and didn't even eat it all. I bought a box of the 100 calorie Snack Right snacks - basically individually bagged up little cookies. That way people like me who would really rather just open a big box and pour them into our mouths have to actually OPEN the individual bags (2 points per bag). Bought more of the sugar free Jello pudding cups (I really love the Dulce du Leche ones....just sayin' they are only 1 point) and had some cherry tomatos and low fat cottage cheese. If I portion it out ahead of time I know how many points I'm going to eat. Plus I made an effort to drink more today, I love diet Peach Snapple and I found some on sale the last time I shopped so I took a bottle of that and had a vanilla coke zero as well. The big meal was when I got home - more harvest stew. YUM. I load mine up with garlic and cayenne (remembering to shake from the bottle not pour like I accidentally did last time....) and that helps me feel better too.
It was a better day today. I accomplished things I needed to do. Thank you Janice for stopping by and reminding me to smile. Smiling can make you feel better too. But now I need to go to bed....remember yesterday's information about sleep......yeah. G'night kiddos.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Week 11 - On a Stick
So, today’s blog is about how to stay active when you feel like crap….on a stick. I went to my doctor today and she diagnosed me with (not pneumonia, which it started to feel like) sinusitis and gave me a big prescription for antibiotics. Yay for antibiotics. Can you imagine living in the days before such things? Nowadays we use them for so many things that we are developing super bugs that are resistant to them. (Google MRSA – it’s nasty)
So I will pick my my antibiotics at the drive-thru drug store on my way home from the chiropractor after getting fingerprinted for my next job. How’s about THEM apples? Sounds interesting huh.
I was reading (yes, while on the job – I’m that good that I can get my job done, piss off my co-workers that think we’re just “too busy”, go see my doctor and still have time to blog and read and leave early.) K, so only did 5 of those today – you figure out which ones. I found an interesting little blurb in a 2007 Weight Watchers Magazine (March/April version) about fitness that’s “Easy on the joints”. Given my near constant pain over the last 2 weeks now I was drawn to this info:
The National Institute of Arthritis predicts that by 2020, 59.4 million people will have osteoarthritis. My grandfather had severe arthritis, he had what’s called gout which deformed the joints in his fingers to the point that his hands looked like crab claws, curved into themselves. The article gave a couple of ideas for non-impact exercises from Johanna Subotovsky (Equinox Fitness Clubs in NYC):
1. Basic Leg Lifts – sitting on a chair with back tall and arms at sides, lift right leg about 3 inches off floor and straighten it, keeping the left foot flat on floor. Hold for 3 counts. Repeat 10 times; switch legs. Do 2 more sets. NOTE: I did this at work. Very easy. And I could feel it.
2. Hip Kicks – stand behind a chair with feet shoulder-width apart, palms resting on the chair for support. Lift right leg about 3 inches off floor and kick it out behind you. Return to start and kick right leg out to side about hip height. Repeat this sequence 10 times; switch legs. Do 2 more sets. * I did not try this at work…but I could see doing this while waiting for the microwave at lunch…
Another little blurb notes that research linking lack of sleep to weight gain continues to mount. According to the March/April Weight Watchers Magazine (pg. 12) the latest findings show that "women who slept an average of 5 hours per night were one third more likely to have gained at least 33 pounds during the course of the 16-year study than were those who slept an average of 7 hours a night."
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Week 11 - Fear and Spicy Food
So, I started this post at work today. Have been composing it in my head for a couple of days but did not have time to sit and type until *ahem* work. (shhh)
Last week was a big hiccup in my quest for healthy weight and fitness. I didn’t feel good. Generally run down and tired. Back hurt from the accident and this sinus infection that was keeping me from a good night’s sleep was making me crazy. SO, when it came to Tuesday and a dear friend from high school called and wanted to meet me for dinner I jumped at the chance to go for my comfort food – INDIAN. I grew up eating Indian food. My dad was born in India (missionaries) and so we learned the fabulous richness of rice and curry as babies and there is a particularly great restaurant in my area. (There are several Indian restaurants in this general area but only 2 I would say are really good.)
If you know Indian food you know that it is quite customary to have a buffet laid out. You grab a plate, add some rice and then pick from curries, some sort of bread (popodum or poorie) and a yummy little tidbit called a pakora that is basically a small handful of vegetables, covered in a curry batter and deep fried. Yeah. So, while I had every opportunity to control my portions and have a decent meal for low points….I went through line twice. By the time I was done I was FULL. Full, full full. That feeling where you think you should be turned sideways and rolled out the door like Violet in Willy Wonka? Yeah. So I went home and said “oops”, forgot to record my food and went to bed.
2 things (besides my inability to put the fork DOWN) tripped me up last week: 1. I did not record my food on the website. I had been doing it every single night for 10 weeks. But last week I had 3 nights where I didn’t come home until late, came home exhausted and didn’t record anything. and 2. I ate at restaurants. I am not yet willing to put my food in a doggie bag and only eat a little bit. I did not excuse myself from the full plate club.
I slurped and snarfed and gobbled my way through Indian, Chinese and Thai. AND (nope not done) I had a bar burger and drinks and more drinks and then I went to a wedding. Oh and had more Thai food.
So, portion control. I know I read somewhere that said a really good rule of thumb is to ask for lunch portions (instead of dinner portions) and/or to ask for a doggie/to-go bag at the time that the food arrives. That way you get a smaller portion to begin with and if you take at least ½ of the food and put it in the to-go bag before you even eat you’re starting with a smaller portion. Now, buffets don’t allow you to take food home with you. This means that you’ll end up paying a set fee (generally higher) for a dinner and you won’t get much. I think that what I’d have to do in the future is to order a dinner instead (which was an option) and put ½ away for later.
Portion control is certainly not the only problem I had – I just wanted to eat. I’ve taught myself that eating will make me feel better and especially when I’m tired and out of sorts and sore….I’m looking for comfort. Spicy warm foods when I’m cold or sick make me feel better. I have just not learned the second key lesson in this whole thing which is self-control. Eating till you feel better is a BAD idea. BAD. Many of the nights last week when I’d go to bed I felt overly full. That in and of itself is a good thing and should make me feel better about the fact that I have learned where my full switch is. Add into that the fact that it takes 20 minutes for you to register the fact that you're full and yeah....I am glad I only went up 1.5 pounds.
So. That covers the spicy food. Now the fear. I've been working on the changes to my future and asking myself exactly why it is I haven't pursued those changes - mainly getting back into counseling full-time. It's what I'm good at and it's what I love. And the last time I was doing that was a long time ago. And it's been something that I've been afraid to try again. I got comfortable where I am in my job. I'm good at it. I've made this job what it is. But it's not what I trained to do. And I need to just suck it up. Get over the fear of "what if I can't do it" and go and do it. I have been handed opportunities recently, mainly because of the friends that I have, and those opportunities keep putting this job path in my way. As if to remind me "YES. YOU CAN DO THIS." So today I took my first step toward actually leaving and going to do my own stuff.
There are many steps in this process but as I was thinking about this and the stalled weight loss I realized that this is based on flawed thinking. The belief that I'll eventually stumble. The belief that I'll screw something up and not be able to get the job I want. The belief that I won't actually succeed in this weight thing. Oh yeah. There it is. I saw pictures of myself this weekend from a wedding and while I know I weigh less than I did....it was me feeling my pity party all over again. And I know that a big, BIG part of this process is going to have to be ME being honest with ME and following through with the goals that I set. I have a big goal down the road. 100 pounds. But for right now I need to be laser-sight focused on 30 pounds.
So, here's what I learned in the last week.... I have to HAVE to make time to sit down and track what I eat. Every day. No matter what. I can eat out at a restaurant, but in order to do that I need to find out and plan ahead and count the points up. And I have to portion control. And I have to keep myself focused. I did not exercise at all last week. Sure I can blame it on my back pain. But there's always going to be a reason. And I have to want it more than I don't. And I want this. I will do both things I am afraid of failing at. Because the only thing that can make me fail is if I give up.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Week 11 - busy, busy, busy - weigh in day.....
so, I haven't forgotten this blog. I have however been extraordinarily busy. Have a post brewing on restaurants and how we de-rail our progress. (Gained 1.5 pound this week, ate at 4 restaurants and had an all day seminar that was catered....) So, back at it in the morning. Walk. Walk. Walk. Track points. Walk. Wii. Repeat. OH, and a little work and chiropractor (after X-rays) too.
I needed another 2 days before Monday showed back up.
Guess I will have to settle for going to bed before midnight for the first time since Thursday.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
I needed another 2 days before Monday showed back up.
Guess I will have to settle for going to bed before midnight for the first time since Thursday.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Week 10 Thursday - Snap, crackle, pop
So, I have been neglecting this blog. I am sore this week. Went to chiropractor yesterday and yeeeeeow did he crack some stuff, the lower back stuff felt fantastic but when he got to my middle/upper back and my neck I was seein' stars. I felt GREAT (and my sinuses actually drained after the neck one...how weird is that?!) but now I'm sore again. The good thing is I go back to the chiro tomorrow. 3 days a week will help me.
And I have gone out to dinner twice this week. The 2nd time we just got food and brought it home but while I was watching the portions I have not gone down...in fact I'm up 1... and my sinuses are killing me and resulting in not sleeping well. I bought a flush system (not the Neti Pot, but related) that is effective. It is not something you'd do in public or you'd do without feeling humiliated. But it works.
So yeah sore and not in the game. Still counting points every day but not feeling close to 30. But absolutely still on my way. Nearly there.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
And I have gone out to dinner twice this week. The 2nd time we just got food and brought it home but while I was watching the portions I have not gone down...in fact I'm up 1... and my sinuses are killing me and resulting in not sleeping well. I bought a flush system (not the Neti Pot, but related) that is effective. It is not something you'd do in public or you'd do without feeling humiliated. But it works.
So yeah sore and not in the game. Still counting points every day but not feeling close to 30. But absolutely still on my way. Nearly there.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Monday, October 4, 2010
Week 10 day 2 - Rainy days and Mondays
So, I love the rain. And today it didn't exactly rain here but that was ok because I didn't have to use my umbrella when I went on my walk. Just misted. And that was perfect. Back is still sore, I made an appointment to see a chiropractor on Wednesday (short day) so trust that will help. As you point out - very lucky that the person that hit us had insurance. My roommate has insurance and so I will have to use his PIP (personal injury protection for those of you that aren't in insurance) but the other insurance will pay out. It'll all be ok.
The day wasn't bad. Mondays usually are full of some sort of poop-scoop project from the weekend. But today wasn't nearly as bad as they can be. And when it came to eating and staying in my points I was right on the money. I have been fighting this cold/flu/sinus infection for what feels like FOREVER now. I think it's 4 weeks now. That drains me. Put together with sitting for a long time and my back was not happy. So I went on a walk, did the mile loop that I used to do. Didn't do it super fast, kinda babying my back, but still did it and got an exercise point out of it.
The food points were easier too because when I don't feel good (and when it's this time of year especially) I like to eat soup. So by the time I got home from work I still had over 17 points left for the day. And I put them to very good use. Shopping on the weekend (post-accident) included picking up another container of fresh veggies for stir fry. I had been buying the frozen bags and those are fine but the fresh stuff is so much better. And since my roommate's fighting a bug and losing weight too, AND a good cook he put that together with a block of tofu, some teriyaki sauce and some of the asparagus that we had for dinner yesterday and MAN was that good. Spicy and tasty and filling. And my evening dessert was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sara Lee 45 cal bread, less than 2 Tbsp (which is 5 points by the way!) of peanut butter and my personal favorite - Smuckers Sugar Free Apricot Preserves. .5 points if you have 2 Tbsp. 0 if you have 1. :)
So I'm going to bed a wee bit earlier, working on reading through Sherlock Holmes and hopefully I will be able to breathe (sniff sniff) so I can get a good night's rest. And thus get up and attack that hill in the morning. No promises. But I'd kinda like to. So that's a good thing. Yes, yes, yes before you start hounding me with comments (and showing up in my office) I WILL go see the doctor if this illness doesn't go away in a couple more weeks. At this point I'm trying some serious sleep and over the counter stuff.
Nighty nite.
One Day. One Pound. One step at a time.
~N
The day wasn't bad. Mondays usually are full of some sort of poop-scoop project from the weekend. But today wasn't nearly as bad as they can be. And when it came to eating and staying in my points I was right on the money. I have been fighting this cold/flu/sinus infection for what feels like FOREVER now. I think it's 4 weeks now. That drains me. Put together with sitting for a long time and my back was not happy. So I went on a walk, did the mile loop that I used to do. Didn't do it super fast, kinda babying my back, but still did it and got an exercise point out of it.
The food points were easier too because when I don't feel good (and when it's this time of year especially) I like to eat soup. So by the time I got home from work I still had over 17 points left for the day. And I put them to very good use. Shopping on the weekend (post-accident) included picking up another container of fresh veggies for stir fry. I had been buying the frozen bags and those are fine but the fresh stuff is so much better. And since my roommate's fighting a bug and losing weight too, AND a good cook he put that together with a block of tofu, some teriyaki sauce and some of the asparagus that we had for dinner yesterday and MAN was that good. Spicy and tasty and filling. And my evening dessert was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sara Lee 45 cal bread, less than 2 Tbsp (which is 5 points by the way!) of peanut butter and my personal favorite - Smuckers Sugar Free Apricot Preserves. .5 points if you have 2 Tbsp. 0 if you have 1. :)
So I'm going to bed a wee bit earlier, working on reading through Sherlock Holmes and hopefully I will be able to breathe (sniff sniff) so I can get a good night's rest. And thus get up and attack that hill in the morning. No promises. But I'd kinda like to. So that's a good thing. Yes, yes, yes before you start hounding me with comments (and showing up in my office) I WILL go see the doctor if this illness doesn't go away in a couple more weeks. At this point I'm trying some serious sleep and over the counter stuff.
Nighty nite.
One Day. One Pound. One step at a time.
~N
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Week 10 - (Weigh In) Change of plans
My roommate is fond of telling me that "life is the weirdest thing ever." And most of the time he's right. If you think about all the stuff that happens to us on a daily basis that we just take in stride, or deal with and keep going....life is indeed weird.
Yesterday I had a plan: get up, get coffee, get my nephew a present, work, come home and relax. Here's how yesterday really went: get up, get in the car and drive to get coffee (because there was too much to do to walk to the coffee place), drive towards home, get hit (on my side of the little Neon) by big F150 Ford driven by an old man leaving a garage sale, spend time calling insurance companies, start feeling pain in lower back and radiating down left leg, buy present for said nephew and drop it off, drive (my car) to the lake that I walked around a month ago and walk 4 miles in an hour, feel better, come home and watch a movie and go to bed.
The crash could have been much worse. Much. We weren't going over 25, having just left a stop sign and turned onto the road. The old man was pulling out from in front of a house when we were right next to him. It was almost like he didn't register "oh there's a car there with a woman next to me yelling and gesturing with her coffee cup" and he pressed on the gas when his BIG truck wasn't going (because WE were there).
This was my roommate's second accident in a Neon this year. The first accident was his fault, totaled the car, and he went to the hospital with a compression fracture in his back. He was already a slow driver but that accident freaked him out (as well it should) and he was very happy to have gotten another car that looked exactly like his old one. I wasn't in the other accident. This one shook me up as it was on my side of things and, as mentioned, made my lower back seize up for a bit. But this time the car is repairable. The truck is probably totaled (axle issues) but the car will be fine and all will be paid for by said old man's insurance.
When my back started to feel painful I was trying to analyze "now, is this related to the accident? or because I slept weird and then had to crawl over to the driver's side to get out of the car?" And I knew that if I spent the day sitting it would only get worse. So when my dear friend Janice mentioned the lake on Facebook I thought "ahha!" Change of plans. Put walking shoes on and go walk. And this time I didn't walk 6 miles but I walked faster than last time. And by the time I was done my back was not hurting, my knee (that usually starts hurting) wasn't hurting.
Just have to learn to go with the flow and adapt. And thankfully the exercise option helped in all ways. Today I am 1.5 pounds away from my next goal. That's a total loss of 28.5 pounds.
I was reading an article on the WW website about the exercise high that people talk about. I can say that I've felt that a few times and I felt it yesterday for sure. The exercise high is an endorphine high, endorphine hormone secreted by the pituitary gland in response to physical stress. During exercise these hormones have the ability to block pain, curb hunger, elevate mood and get rid of stress hormones. Of course everyone has a different threshold where this high kicks in. Some people get it from running for 30 minutes, others from aerobics, others from swimming.
The article, by Vanessa Voltolina, gives ideas for achieving this high: 1. Give it time. In other words, push yourself to work out longer. The longer you work out the more likely you are to reach it. And of course you also get the benefit of exercise, burning those calories. 2. Everyone's high is different. This of course is what I was saying earlier so just because one person tells you they got the hormones after calisthenics for 20 minutes doesn't mean that you will. 3. Stop obsessing. This was very interesting for me to read. Voltolina points out that if you are spending your exercise time paying attention to who's paying attention to you or how you look while you're working out you are losing the synergy needed (mind/body) to get the result you want. Letting your body and brain get into the movement, feeling the air go into your lungs and feeling the way your muscles respond and how it feels once you've walked through any discomfort or pain.
I know exactly how that feels. Yesterday when I started walking I was thinking about the accident and how warm it was and my back hurt and my knee throbbed. By the time I was about halfway into the walk I had forgotten about that and was feeling good.
This week I will reach my goal. I am only 1.5 pounds away and I know I can do it. Of course, that means I'll have to make a new goal but I'm TOTALLY ok with that.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
Yesterday I had a plan: get up, get coffee, get my nephew a present, work, come home and relax. Here's how yesterday really went: get up, get in the car and drive to get coffee (because there was too much to do to walk to the coffee place), drive towards home, get hit (on my side of the little Neon) by big F150 Ford driven by an old man leaving a garage sale, spend time calling insurance companies, start feeling pain in lower back and radiating down left leg, buy present for said nephew and drop it off, drive (my car) to the lake that I walked around a month ago and walk 4 miles in an hour, feel better, come home and watch a movie and go to bed.
The crash could have been much worse. Much. We weren't going over 25, having just left a stop sign and turned onto the road. The old man was pulling out from in front of a house when we were right next to him. It was almost like he didn't register "oh there's a car there with a woman next to me yelling and gesturing with her coffee cup" and he pressed on the gas when his BIG truck wasn't going (because WE were there).
This was my roommate's second accident in a Neon this year. The first accident was his fault, totaled the car, and he went to the hospital with a compression fracture in his back. He was already a slow driver but that accident freaked him out (as well it should) and he was very happy to have gotten another car that looked exactly like his old one. I wasn't in the other accident. This one shook me up as it was on my side of things and, as mentioned, made my lower back seize up for a bit. But this time the car is repairable. The truck is probably totaled (axle issues) but the car will be fine and all will be paid for by said old man's insurance.
When my back started to feel painful I was trying to analyze "now, is this related to the accident? or because I slept weird and then had to crawl over to the driver's side to get out of the car?" And I knew that if I spent the day sitting it would only get worse. So when my dear friend Janice mentioned the lake on Facebook I thought "ahha!" Change of plans. Put walking shoes on and go walk. And this time I didn't walk 6 miles but I walked faster than last time. And by the time I was done my back was not hurting, my knee (that usually starts hurting) wasn't hurting.
Just have to learn to go with the flow and adapt. And thankfully the exercise option helped in all ways. Today I am 1.5 pounds away from my next goal. That's a total loss of 28.5 pounds.
I was reading an article on the WW website about the exercise high that people talk about. I can say that I've felt that a few times and I felt it yesterday for sure. The exercise high is an endorphine high, endorphine hormone secreted by the pituitary gland in response to physical stress. During exercise these hormones have the ability to block pain, curb hunger, elevate mood and get rid of stress hormones. Of course everyone has a different threshold where this high kicks in. Some people get it from running for 30 minutes, others from aerobics, others from swimming.
The article, by Vanessa Voltolina, gives ideas for achieving this high: 1. Give it time. In other words, push yourself to work out longer. The longer you work out the more likely you are to reach it. And of course you also get the benefit of exercise, burning those calories. 2. Everyone's high is different. This of course is what I was saying earlier so just because one person tells you they got the hormones after calisthenics for 20 minutes doesn't mean that you will. 3. Stop obsessing. This was very interesting for me to read. Voltolina points out that if you are spending your exercise time paying attention to who's paying attention to you or how you look while you're working out you are losing the synergy needed (mind/body) to get the result you want. Letting your body and brain get into the movement, feeling the air go into your lungs and feeling the way your muscles respond and how it feels once you've walked through any discomfort or pain.
I know exactly how that feels. Yesterday when I started walking I was thinking about the accident and how warm it was and my back hurt and my knee throbbed. By the time I was about halfway into the walk I had forgotten about that and was feeling good.
This week I will reach my goal. I am only 1.5 pounds away and I know I can do it. Of course, that means I'll have to make a new goal but I'm TOTALLY ok with that.
One day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
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