The Big One

Yesterday was a looong day. Got to the Spirit of Pittsburgh packet pickup at 3:00, got the packet at 4:00, and left for West Virginia for dinner.

Tomorrows weather looks decent for a run, not like my last marathon “which was raining” so it should be pretty good.

Inside the packet…

A huge bag, full of goodies, I could fit my whole body inside the bag if I sit in it! Made of reusable material

My number and time chip, very uniquely styled.

and the shirt, made of my favorite fabric. The ikea marathon had the same fabric shirts and I love it! Also a hat made of the same fabric. Its like a whole free outfit! lol

Like the title, this is the “big one”. The Spirit of Pittsburgh is the biggest “Half marathon” ive ever done. The Pittsburgh marathon I did 11.5miles of a relay, that was the second biggest. So far my favorite has been the Chamber Classic, followed by the Pittsburgh Marathon relay.

Accomplished goals

Ive been running for about 2 years and I accomplished many goals. My first goal was just to complete a half marathon, which I did, and surprisingly followed by that Ive won not one but two first place age group awards for half marathons. I have 2 other goals, one is getting 1:30:00 or below on a half marathon, and my other is to race in a full marathon when I reach suggested age. I’m juggling around 1:34:00, and 1:33:00, Hopefully by May ill be able to accomplish my timed goal for the Pittsburgh Marathon.

Cya until later, Its Halloween night and carb 0 loading at large. What a great night to have a race the next day on. I just hope kids don’t ring out doorbell really late for candy, because lights out at 8:00 tonight. 5:30 rise and shine tomorrow.

Well Intentioned Doesn't Cut It

I had every intention of getting up and going to the gym today. It’s been 3 or 4 days since I’ve been. I woke up to a rainy, dark day and hadn’t an ounce of energy to get me to my car. I just wanted to sleep.

As well, I had told my brother that I would do some work for him. He pays me to do easy assembly work, and I was feeling guilty that I had been putting him off. So, no gym today.

I did get in a 15 minute walk outside, but that was the extent of my exercise. Meals were light. I had a protein shake for breakfast, black bean vegetable soup for lunch; lamb chops and coleslaw for supper. Only snacks were grapes, an apple and raw turnip.

I start out so well intentioned and then bloody life gets in my way. Well, that’s an excuse I haven’t used before.

Blogging in a Fog

Warning:  This post written under the influence of strong pain killers. May contain unintelligible gibberish, unfinished and/or run-on sentences, or just plain drivel.

 

I never imagined I would say this, but it seems I now have something in common with Rush Limbaugh:  Oxycodone.  Since I’d like to limit the things he and I have in common, I’m planning to be careful not to let my use of pain killers turn into an addiction like his.

As of today, I’ve seen three different doctors at the Cancer Center concerning my continuing throat problem. Pretty much all of them agree it’s related to the Xeloda I was taking. What they don’t quite agree on is whether it’s actually thrush, mucositis, or a combination of both. I’ve been taking the meds to treat thrush for five days now with no real improvement. Unfortunately, there’s no particular “treatment” for mucositis – you just have to wait for it to heal, much like a virus.

I took my last Xeloda pill over two weeks ago. Today’s doctor thinks that in about a week the Xeloda will have cleared from my system enough for my throat issues to heal on their own. Meanwhile, I have been unable to eat anything because of the excruciating pain of swallowing, and have continued to lose weight at an alarming rate (105 today). So, the newest approach is to have me take pain killers in order to “minimize the discomfort” of swallowing.

I was instructed to take “1 or 2″ of the Oxycodone pills every four hours. At 1:00 this afternoon, I took my first pill. By 1:30, I still couldn’t swallow, so I took the second pill.  By 2:00 I was surprised that I could actually swallow with much less difficulty, and I managed to eat more food during the next half-hour than I’ve eaten over the past four days combined! Wahoo! Then, at 2:30 I passed out in a drug-induced delirium. Four hours later, when I might have taken another dose, I was still completely out-of-it and pretty much unaware of anything but the drool on my pillow.

It’s been about six hours now since I took the Oxycodone and, although I’m certainly more alert, my eyes and limbs are still very heavy.  I’ll have to take another dose here shortly in order to eat again, but I’m thinking this time I will just take one pill and wait a little longer to see if it can do the job on it’s own. Otherwise, I’ll be back in Wonderland for the next several hours. If I’m not completely spaced-out over the next few days, I’ll try to give an update on the eating situation. Meanwhile, I’m going to see if I can avoid that rabbit-hole I fell into earlier.

Alice about to take a tumble down the rabbit hole

P.S. – Some of you have already been asking about my office visit with the surgeon, Dr. Rajput.  Unfortunately, it didn’t take place (chalk it up to poor communication at UNM). Now I’m scheduled to see him on Wednesday, November 4.

October 28, 2009

Weight: 210 lbs.

7:00 a.m. It took me an hour and fifteen minutes to drive to work today. Somebody shook the proverbial snow globe. We are expected to get 2 feet of snow in the next 36 hours!

Breakfast: Raisin Bran cereal, iced tea and coffee.

Water: Four cups

10:33 a.m. After my conference call I get to go home! It is snowing like crazy and expected to get really bad so my boss said I could beat the traffic by leaving early and working from home.

Lunch: Tea and my dad’s mac & cheese. It wasn’t very good.

3:27 p.m. I have been playing catch-up since it took me a while to get home. However, I am glad to be warm and working in my PJs!

Dinner: Hamburger and potatoes with water

8:30 p.m. I have been awfully tired all day. I think I will go to bed early.

Days without soda: 17

Blah

For some reason, I’m feeling kind of “blah” … so I’ll try to keep things simple here!  Though knowing me, I’ll end up with some Verbal Vomit at some point.  For the moment, some pictures.

Romaine, baby peppers, ginger teriyaki Tempehtations, roasted asparagus.

Honey wheat braided twist pretzels… I had never tried them before, and I loved them.  I kind of go through stages where I crave pretzels, and then sometimes I don’t touch them for months.  I am weird.

As planned, I put a Garden Gourmet veggie burger in a pita.  While I did like the “burger-in-a-pita” concept, the burgers are definitely not Tivi Valley!  They are a bit greasy, and there are some weird chewy chunks in there.  Not a major fan.  Nor am I a fan of the turnip greens you see in the background… at all!

On the topic of Garden Gourmet, I tried this too:

I kind of liked this… again, though, it was definitely not the same as Tivi Valley’s schnitzel.  It wasn’t bad, but it did have a lot more grease.  I think it goes without saying that I do not like grease.

I know there are hummus purists out there, and those who say that if it doesn’t have tahini, it’s not really hummus.  This is true.  However, I do not like tahini, and therefore, I love the zero-fat hommus from Oasis Mediterranean Cuisine. I had a little issue, so I contacted the company, and they very graciously sent me a package “for my inconvenience”:

I’m especially excited about the black bean dip, because I haven’t been able to find that anywhere.

Mini Verbal Vomit (told ya!)… Part of the reason why I am feeling so … flat is probably because of the weather.  It’s been raining for two days (and the umbrella that I bought yesterday seems to be leaking — I don’t think I ought to have blobs of rain dropping onto my head when I’m under an umbrella!), and that’s depressing enough.  But I always feel like I bloat due to the humidity.  Is it possible to bloat but not actually gain weight?!  Hmm.  It must be, I guess, because after my dash onto my nutritionist’s scale, she wasn’t too happy with me.  I quote: “You are in trouble; I am going to have to yell at you.”  Or something like that.  Apparently, if I feel like I gained X, I lost that much.  Does that mean I need to start flipping around every thought in my head?!  No, I should just stop thinking right now, because it’s been a very very long day and tomorrow looks like more of the same.  It feels like I am always so busy, but doing what?!  You would think that I might actually have a life, but I don’t.  Come to think of it, that’s not so odd under the circumstances.  But sometimes, it really does suck to live in a bubble like that.  I live in my own world… but that’s okay, everybody knows me there.

This is totally random, but I found it really amusing for some reason.  Hair that styles itself?  I wish.

Enjoy your Thursday.

Low Cal Lunch?

I had lunch with a good friend today, and didn’t get a chance to go to the gym. I needn’t have worried about overeating; Helje (my friend) and I did so much talking that we popped food in our mouths only to draw a breath. Except for the bread the cafe served, the food was not spectacular. Too much oil on the salad, and the gourmet pizza was ruined with some kind of bland cheese melted all over it. So, it wasn’t hard to keep control.

I did stop in at a bakery after saying good bye to Helje. I wanted something sweet so I bought a date square, and a cherry pie (for my mother). The date square was horrible. I hate it when I eat something that has tons of calories but doesn’t satisfy. I should have stopped after the first bite, but I didn’t have the sense to.

For supper, I had a salad with tuna. I had only a small piece of cherry pie. It was yards better than the date square.  I felt I needed to exercise away the demon date square and the cherry pie, so I exercycled for an hour while watching Law and Order on TV.

What Are Your Goals After You Die?

I ask that question because I wonder what people and myself  sometimes are waiting for to accomplish or start on their goals in life.  Are we just surviving until we die? I hope not.  So what are we waiting for? The perfect time to start? There is none.  The confidence to start? That comes after the doing. I don’t know how? You learn as you go, the how comes afterward. So if you do not have any goals you want to accomplish in life, I guess you have some after you die. Believe this, life will conspire with you after you have decided to change or create something different in your life, whether it be weight loss, financial  or whatever goal you might have. If you are afraid so what, I am too. We are all different but we all have the same feelings, insecurities, hesitations. Don’t wait any longer to start living the life you want to have, small changes are what make up big changes in your life. If you really look at it, what one person has done another can also. More to come…..

Develop Healthy Habits To Lose Weight Fast

Obesity is one of the most prevalent medical problems, particularly in the developed countries. Given the immensity of the problem, people are now motivated not only to lose weight, but to lose weight fast. Because people are consuming increasingly larger quantities of food and are exercising less, they can’t seem to do it fast enough. It is important to develop healthy habits for proper weight loss.

So what are the best ways on how to lose fat? The first step is to consult a physician or dietician and follow his or her advice. A dietician will put you on a weight loss program that will be tailored to your particular situation. He will suggest an appropriate exercise program. Also, a doctor will be able to educate you on the medical problems related to obesity like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

It may sound difficult at first but the health habits developed in the process of losing weight should be continued even after you become fit and healthy again. Some of these habits include increasing your level and intensity of physical activity and eating lower calorie foods. Below is a list of healthy habits:

1) Stay motivated – It is important to stay motivated. You can seek motivation from your family members or friends when trying to lose weight fast. Read about others success stories. Keep track of the weight you’ve lost, so you can see how far you’ve come.

2) Keep it up – A successful weight watcher will see to it that he maintains his weight after losing it. Many people tend to gain more weight faster after losing weight fast.

3) Exercise – As previously mentioned, exercising is necessary to lose weight faster. You can start with light exercises like swimming, running and walking to lose weight fast. Then progress to more intense exercises as you get into better shape.

4) Eat less calories – It is also important to cut down on high calorie foods like candy, cakes, cookies, ice cream, and alcohol. Eat more salads, vegetables and fruits. Among the fruits, select those fruits that have lower sugar content. You should also select foods that are high in nutritional value. Many people starve themselves to lose weight fast. This is not recommended, as people who lose weight fast by starving themselves tend to gain weight back more quickly in the future.

So those are some healthy habits to get you started. Of all the ideas mentioned above, don’t forget number one: it is important to stay motivated. Keep up with your program, and by following the simple steps mentioned above you will know how to lose fat fast.

Ways to Get Rid of 'Thunder Thighs'

Research shows that women tend to have higher percentage of body fat than men, and there is a gender-specific difference in fat distribution.

Females tend to accumulate fat around the hips, rear and thighs, while men tend to carry around a jelly-belly. When there is an excess of fat storage in the thigh area, it is sometimes referred to as “thunder thighs.”

So, what’s the remedy?

Approaching this issue with both nutrition and exercise is important to really see results. This means including a proper diet, cardio vascular exercise and strength training.

That inner thigh machine is not going to take away the saddle bags. Certainly this hip abduction exercise is great for hip flexibility and stretching for anyone, but, not so much for toning and weight loss of the excess luggage compartment.

There is no such thing as spot reducing, and though genetics play a role in placement of fat cells, you can shrink the fat within those cells.

A diet that is high in veggies and protein, and low in sugar will help elevate your metabolism to be in a better fat burning state. Including several servings of greens and plenty of protein for muscle development will keep your metabolism on fire.

Challenge yourself with your exercise routines, but also know your limits. If you are just beginning, it is vital that you take it slow for the first two weeks, keeping your heart rate in the 50-60 percent range, and as fitness level rises, increase by 10 percent at each workout.

Starve Yourself Of Negative Diet Patterns

The power of the mind has been well known to successful and fulfilled people for centuries.
Experts of the sub conscious mind such as hypnotists have come up with ingenious ways  that by-pass the conscious mind and speak directly to the sub conscious. Often hypnosis is used to help people achieve their weight loss goals. In this article I will show you how to do that without any fancy hypnotist or high fees.

The sub conscious mind is the most powerful force in any human being. When you first learned to drive you had to think about every single thing to keep that car driving in the way you wanted to. Gears, mirrors, indicators, steering and many other factors were constantly thought about. After a while though all of these become a habit. You repeat them so many times that your conscious mind no longer has to think about them. Your sub conscious runs you on auto pilot to carry out the manoeuvres.

So what does this have to do with weight loss? Well by using a concept called “auto suggestion” you can help your sub conscious mind “reprogram” yourself to stick to diets, eat healthier foods, enjoy working out (seriously) and much more.

The reason so many people fail to lose weight is because they program themselves for failure each and every time they try a new diet. Because of bad experiences with shoddy diet programs in the past they often tell themselves “This won’t work for me” and give up a few weeks in. Think about whenever you’ve tried to diet in the past. How long did you stick at? Probably not long enough if you’re honest with yourself.

The technique I am to teach you now will enable you to starve yourself of these negative thought patterns that you are constantly bombarding your sub conscious mind with. Let’s retrain yourself to be more positive about your weight loss and in turn develop a thick skin that won’t give up whenever a diet doesn’t show instant and massive results.

Your emotions and thoughts are like signals. Whenever you feel bad about weight loss or dieting and have thoughts such as “I’m always going to be overweight” stop what you’re doing and follow these steps:

Step One. Think about what it is that makes you feel you’ll always be overweight. You’ll get an
image come into your mind. Maybe it’s of you feeling down about a diet or you in the future and
you haven’t lost any weight.

Step Two. Pay attention to this image. This is your unconscious telling you what thought is holding you back in your quest for dieting. This is the image that you consistently put into your sub conscious. You have programmed yourself to think this way and that’s why it is so easy to give up on diets when things get a little tough.

Step Three. Drain all the colour out of the image. Shrink it and move it into the distance. If it
happens to reappear repeat the process. Drain it, shrink it and put it into the distance.

Step Four. Replace the image with an image of what you really want to be like. Fit, healthy and at your perfect weight. Get emotionally involved with the image. Think of how great it would feel to have lost all the weight you want to. Make it full colour and bring it closer to you.

Step Five. Hold your thumb and middle fingers together when you feel that rush of excitement
about the new future you. Whilst this may all sound a little crazy this a very cool technique for programming your sub conscious. If you do this every time you feel a little down about weight loss or have any negative thoughts soon it will become a habit.

Eventually you will have created “a mind anchor” so that you can press your thumb and middle
fingers together and get the rush of excitement about your new, slim self. Any time you feel
negative about weight loss you put your fingers together and your sub conscious will recognise this habit and use it to your advantage.

Ok. I do understand that this may seem a little “out there” but this is based on the science of
Neuro Linguisitc Programming. This is not some pie in the sky idea thought up by a lunatic. It is based on the science of the mind and it works in reprogramming yourself. Give it a go and stick at it!

For information about Acai Berry follow this link

On Making Preparations

Today I went out to run errands in preparation for my move, and before I was done I was an additional $1,500 in debt.

I first went to Sports Authority for a pair of hiking boots that will keep my feet warm and still allow me to do a lot of walking.  $70.

I then went to the nearest gun shop for a small gun safe.  I never felt the need to lock up my pistol, but in Denver my nieces and nephew will be regular visitors.  The safe arrives on Monday. $130.

I then went to Merchant Tire, where I spent most of the afternoon.  My tires were too bald for an 1,800 mile trip through the midwest in December, so I bought a set of snow/mud tires.  While I was there, I had the mechanics tell me what kind of oil, brake fluid and coolant to buy, how to check the levels and where to add fluids if necessary. I had always let my dealer do all this, but for a trip across 7 states, I felt the need to educate myself.  I also lay on the floor of the garage while the mechanic made sure that I knew how to retrieve my spare and use my jack. $1,100.

I went to Catherine’s hoping to find a coat suitable for a Colorado winter, but nothing even came close.  The only possibility was a sort of squall jacket.  I tried on two of them, and both had stubborn zippers.  I had to order a parka online.  While I was online I got a cableknit sweater that I can pull over just about anything as an additional layer.  $182.

I still have to buy a roadside emergency kit–or at least some reflective triangles.  One of those big broom things for getting snow off my truck would also be nice.

###

Merchant Tire is within sight of my dojo.  I sat for a time in the waiting room, thinking about whether I could walk back through those doors to say goodbye.  I think I can, and I will sometime next month.  I need the closure, and I think Sensei does also.

Last year about this time I wrote about something I needed to do, about a favor I needed from a friend.  I still haven’t received that help, and I worry that I won’t be able to start over until I can get this task done.  Time is short, suddenly.  I went to bed thinking about it, and had an anxiety attack.

I don’t think I’ve had a bad day since deciding to move.  And I’ve lost 6 pounds.

VITAMINS

I wanted to make you to mention, as I do not believe I previously have in any post, that you really should take a good vitamin while you are trying to lose weight. I have never really been much of a believer of this and in the past have never really been good at taking my vitamins but I have found out the hard way that it truly is a must do.

I went in for my yearly lab work and as a follow-up received a call from my doctors office. My vitamin D levels are very low and I need to take a supplement. Wow, I did not know how quickly vitamin deficiencies show up! And being deficient in any vitamin comes with its own risks.

The Journal of Nutrition states the following about vitamin D deficiency:

In adults, vitamin D deficiency induces secondary hyperparathyroidism, which causes a loss of matrix and minerals, thus increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. In addition, the poor mineralization of newly laid down bone matrix in adult bone results in the painful bone disease of osteomalacia. Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness, increasing the risk of falling and fractures. Vitamin D deficiency also has other serious consequences on overall health and well-being. There is mounting scientific evidence that implicates vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular heart disease, and many common deadly cancers.

So, once again I have become the example for all of you..glad I could help..

TAKE YOUR VITAMINS!!

Weight Loss Post Pregnancy: Reclaim Your Body

An average woman gains 25 pounds or more during pregnancy. The process of producing babies may require weight loss up to 14 pounds. So there is more still to be lost by them. Weight loss post pregnancy is easy and simple is you follow your routine daily. Don’t assume that this fat deposited will never go away.

Sure Shot Way to Loose Weight with FatLoss4Idiots Doctors and other medical experts may recommend or put you into a weight loss program after your delivery. However weight loss post pregnancy programs do not mean dieting alone day and night. Low fat diet with proper exercise schedule can help you reclaim your body back in shape. Instant results can never be expected.

Generally such weight loss post pregnancy takes around a year to bring you backing shape. Don’t cut on the essential nutrients after child birth. Low carbohydrate diet is the best suggestion for all times. Breast feeding enhances weight loss. So rejoice as it helps the body to release hormones which enables uterus to come back to its original shape and size.

During weight loss post pregnancy stay away from junk food and eat a nutritional diet so that you can look after you and your baby well. Many exercises have been told by the doctors who help you relieve the post-partum depression, anxiety and enhance your confidence. Take the help of your friends and relatives to help you while you take care of the baby and exercise.

Remember your diet should be low fat but not fat-free, high fibre content and rich in vitamins. Weight loss post pregnancy is not a difficult job if done with full happiness and confidence. Your dedication to become fit and fine should never let you make your baby unhealthy. Take good care of both of you.

What I Should Have Posted Monday

Well, I’ve fallen off the wagon.  Not the weight loss wagon, the blog wagon.  My personal life is undergoing an overhaul and I haven’t done well keeping it up with it all.  I think about blogging every day, even on the days where I haven’t.  I will do my best to keep up the daily posts.  That’s part of the process for me.

You might say that I’ve also fallen off the weight loss bandwagon, though I don’t feel that way.  I have been at the same weight for the last two weeks.  And I feel incredibly appreciative that I haven’t gained any weight back during that time.  I’ve actually been really surprised given the amount of sitting and eating that I’ve done and the stress, my god, the stress!

The good news is that, while there will always be challenges and obstacles, I hope that I’m on the other side of some major personal stuff.  My new stepfamily and new marriage has just survived some major challenges.  I’m sure we’ll have more but we’re now definitely in a place that’s stronger than ever before.

I also just finished taking a Permaculture Design Certification Course.  It was a great experience that has and will continue to change my life and future.  I look forward to implementing at least some of the ideas and skills that I learned.  And to the possibility of making it my life’s work.  Implementing permaculture designs and getting more involved in planting and maintaining gardens would help me get exercise every single day – what I call natural exercise and some call an active lifestyle, meaning that it is exercise that happens during the course of living my everyday life.

So, though I’m still at 160 during the week that I planned to be at 158, I’m content.  As you’ll see, my self-care habits are really improving.

Here are my current stats:
Weight: 164 lbs  160 lbs
Goal weight: 158 lbs
Difference from goal: 2 pounds short of goal

How I did during week #6:
1.  Sleep – average of 7.2 hours (goal is average 8.5 hours) 
2.  Exercise - 4.45 hours (goal is 4) 
3.  Strength training – 0 (goal is once a 3 times per week) 
4.  Yoga – 0 (goal is once a week)
5.  Meditation – 0 minutes (goal is 10 minutes a day)
6.  Food – lacking a little in fruit and veggie consumption, a little too much fat including chocolate

35 Exercises for 35 lbs

Hello All!

This post is something different from the norm, but I thought I would use it as a way to gather and share responses to my new mission.  I want to lose 35 lbs, so to make it more interesting, I want your fun, low-cost, creative ways to burn calories.  You can post them here, to my twitter, or Facebook, and I’ll update this page with the responses.

35 Exercises:
1.  Walking
2.  Running
3.  Floorball
4.  Dancing Around the House
5.  Exercise DVDs
6.  Sex
7.  Tabata Intervals
8.  Sprints
9.  Yoga

Keep it going!  Be creative!

Top 5 Weight Loss Strategies

By Brad Pilon, MS

Losing weight sounds simple but it can get confusing if you don’t know where to start. This is the top 5 most important things you can do to lose weight and keep it off.

1. Eat Less – This one sounds obvious but it can’t be stressed enough. The only way to lose weight is burn more calories than you consume. One easy way of doing this is eating less. As a matter of fact the only way any of the popular diets cause weight loss is because you end up eating less while you follow them. It doesn’t matter if the diet is low carb, high protein or low fat. As long as you are eating less calories than your basal requirement you will lose weight. The easiest and most effective calorie reducing system I have come across is Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon.
2. Do High Intensity Exercise – High intensity whole body circuit training will ensure that you are burning lots of calories and working all the muscles in your body. This works better than traditional ‘cardio’ workouts for 2 reasons. First high intensity circuits burn more calories than ‘cardio’ can. Two, they build and tone muscle which keeps your metabolism up.
3. Get A Weight Loss Team – Social Support is the most important factor to realizing your weight loss goals. Get as many of your close friends and family on your side as possible. The more people that are pulling for your success the better. Make sure you always have at least two or three people to call that will help keep you on track when you feel like skipping a workout or cheating on your nutrition plan.
4. Eat more Fruits And Vegetables – This seems a bit simple but its one of the most effective things you can do to lose weight. Fruits and veggies take up lots of space in your stomach and fill you up without adding too many calories. They will also take the place of some high sugar and high fat foods you may have eaten instead.
5. Set Short Term Goals – Short term goal setting is often overlooked and is a powerful tool to realizing your eventual long term weight loss goal. Set multiple and attainable short term goals, and the shorter the better. At the start set goals for each day, morning evening and night. Set short term goals for finishing each one of your workouts, as well as for eating your fruits and vegetables. Set them each day, and mark it down each time you achieve one. As you build up your list of goals you have accomplished you will build up confidence and momentum towards your overall long term weight loss goal. Keep the list somewhere safe and keep marking down each goal as you achieve it. After a few weeks you should have a nice looking list of accomplishments to be proud of. Remember, every little bit counts.

Put these 5 strategies into effect and you will be well on your way to achieving your weight loss goals in record time.

****
Brad Pilon is a nutrition professional with over eight years experience working in the nutritional supplement industry specializing in clinical research management and new product development. Brad has completed graduate studies in nutritional sciences specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight loss.

His trademarked book Eat Stop Eat has been featured on national television and helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat without sacrificing the foods they love. For more information on Eat Stop Eat, visit www.eatstopeat.com

Day 3 of the hCG Diet: I wanna lick your dessert bowl!

Day 3, October 19, 2009

Weigh in- 184 lbs

This morning I weighed in at a hefty 184; the most I’ve weighed in a long time. I can attribute my two-day gorg for the weight gain; plan executed exactly as it should have.

I seriously racked my brain this morning trying to figure out what I would wear to work.  I got rid of all my fat clothes last year. I found a pair of black stretchy cords that fit like a glove!

I stuck to my diet all day long. I didn’t feel hungry except for after I ate my lunch, but those hunger pains went away after I drank more water.  I drank a total of 100 oz the entire day!

For dinner I made fried talapia and steamed broccoli. Dinner tasted so gourmet; hadn’t cooked fish in years!

Had my evening snack of a protein shake with a couple of strawberries. Earlier in the evening I was having really horrible sugar withdrawals and craving dessert like a little kid! My boyfriend had a piece of pumpkin pie and I wanted a bite so badly, but he refused and called it “supporting me”.  After he was done with his dessert, I took his bowl to the kitchen and pretended I was going to lick up the crumbs! If he hadn’t been there, I may have just done that!

I’m excited to see how my weight turns out tomorrow as it takes 3 injections of the hCG to really begin its work!

EPIC FAIL

Today started off like most Mondays.  I got up at 6:30a, woke up Hunter, watched him leave for school, resisted the TEMPTATION to get back in my cozy bed, made a yummy cup of coffee, ate some yogurt and a banana and spent some quiet time with my Bible.   Afterwards, did some housework, filled out job applications and eventually around noon went for a nice loooonnnngg walk. 

I made it home just in time get ready to go pick up my nephew at school, then had a Walmart run to make and was home after 3pm.  I was starving and made the quickest , saddest looking lunch, a boca veggie burger.  I was so hungry I didn’t take the extra 30 seconds to slice up tomato or add spinach.  Nope, my hungry self couldn’t wait. 

Here’s the epic fail……..My newest pride and joy in the food world are my green smoothies.  Today I made the ugliest most disgusting smoothie and I’m not sure what happened.  It was bad. 

It started out looking pretty good.  I added the regular 1 1/2 cup of spinach, strawberries, blueberries, green tea tbsp of p.b. and agave nectar.  I know the blueberries make it more of a brown color (if I add too many), but this was an ugly brown. And it tasted as bad as it looked.  So Ryan and I tried adding some frozen mango chunks but the damage was already done.  Oh well, I’ll share the pics with you and you be the judge.  I guess the peanut butter and green tea don’t mix well.

Started ok with yogurt, banana n cinnamon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See it doesn't look bad getting started

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRETTY BAD HUH?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the burger was plain but tasty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was tired and did something I rarely do……took a nap.   Dinner was leftover grilled chicken and brown rice.

I’m pooped and going to bed. 

Nite all!

Dara Torres Raises The Bar

Monday, October 19, 2009

October 2009 Week 2

Hello Folks,

I want to send my deepest apologies to anyone who has been following my blog daily. My mother is visiting me for the next month and I have been spending all my time with her. She is going through a lot of changes, as am I, and it seems a perfect time for us to reconnect.

I have been slowing down on my workout routine, which has been a little hard for me. I usually get my boost from my workouts, but my routines have been a little off for a number of reasons, including the fact that my mom is around. It is also darker outside in the am, which is when I like to workout.

I have decided to change my structure for this blog a bit and try something new. From now on I will be posting pictures weekly instead of daily and blogging every few days. I really want to focus on the content, which will require a little more time than I have been using to blog in the past. 

If you haven’t had a chance, check out my new blog Inspire Thru Words. It is complimentary to this blog.

I think one of the best resources out there for growth is through studying everyday people doing extraordinary things. I am like you, an ordinary person, trying to learn from others how to find some success in areas of my life that are hard for me.

The best way to get there is to follow in someone’s footsteps and adapt it to your own way of doing things.

Since I am almost 40 now I decided to take a look at Dara Torres

 

 She has been quoted as saying:

 

“They may become harder to achieve, but your dreams can’t stop because you’ve hit a certain age or you’ve had a child.”

 

“The water doesn’t know what age you are when you jump in, so why not?” (commenting on entering her fifth Olympics at age 41)

 

Who Is Dara Torres?:

 

• Born April 15, 1967 in Jupiter, Florida
• First Swimmer from US to compete in 5 Olympics
• Has won 12 Olympic metals
• At the age of 40 won gold in 100 meter freestyle
• Won gold after giving birth 15 months prior
• Broke the World Record in women’s 50 meter free style in the 80’s
• Broke her own Olympic American record twice 26 years after she set the first American record at 15 years old
• First woman in history to swim in the Olympics past the age of 40
• Her Olympic career spans 25 years

 

Here is a video interview worth watching…

 

  

 

 

She is a True Inspiration to any female athlete and particularly any older female athlete. A living example of what can be achieved with determination, vision, hard work and real committment.

She talks about how her training has changed because of her age. She says that she has shorter more intense workouts. She does two hours of swimming five times a week and One and a half hours of resistance training four times a week. Her body needs more time to recover than when she was younger, but clearly that didn’t stop her.

She also says that she felt more experience gave her an advantage over others.

She was known at the Olympics for being less serious and even chatty and smiling the whole time. No pressure was felt for her, because she had no reason to worry about failing, which actually made her a better athlete.

 

Quotes Source:

 

http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/3-motivational-quotes-from-amanda-beard-dara-torres-493136.html

 

Bio Source:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dara_Torres

The Beginning

Good Morning WordPress Community,

This is the beginning of my weight loss journey. Weighing in at 281 pounds and standing at 5 foot 3 inches, anyone can obviously tell that I am severely obese. While I put myself in denial of this health threat, I continue to be without control.

There are thousands of people every day who struggle with their weight. Whether they are 130 pounds or 300 pounds, they still struggle. In 2005 I lost 75 pounds in 5 months. That is an average of 15 pounds a month. I did this by slowly cutting back my food intake and increasing my workout time. However, since 2005 I have gained 131 pounds.

Eating for me is not only essential, but it is also a comfort. I am single and without children. So when I am sad, I eat, when I am mad, I eat and when I anxious, I eat. It’s an addiction I haven’t been able to quit.

As a “fat” person, it is very hard to find the motivation to lose weight. People who have always been fit their entire lives, or find the strength to keep to a regime are eager to hype other people up to lose weight. So instead of getting a personal trainer, doing a fab diet, and starving myself, I figure this would be a great way to receive feedback from others who are on the same battlefield.

Every day I will make it a point to log in my days achievements. I don’t say failures, because failure is not an option. I will also post information on health and workout tips.

So today is the beginning of what I hope to be a wonderful journey that make me a better person.

Elizabeth K.

You can do more than you think

I struggled a little yesterday because I was desperately in need of sleep. However I still managed about 10x  16kg snatches each side working on form. Slept for about 12-14hrs and now feel so much better.

During training Chuzzy suggested one arm swings with 24kg. I looked at him with disbelief. But I trust him enough to give it a go. I added them into the day one program. Substituting the 12/16kg one arm swings with a 24kg one arm swing , followed by 16kg one arm swings.

The first was a little nervous but I just about managed it. So the second set I had more confidence, and by the third set I could do two one arm swings with this weight!. With an eye on form I went back to the 16kg one arm swings after this. Quit while you are ahead and in good form and your body remembers; is what I’ve been told. But now I will feel more confident next workout. I managed 8 sets of this workout this week

I also had a go at breath walking at the end, which was very calming and I left the gym today feeling better than I have for some while. The great looking guy who stopped to talk to me about my workouts helped…Oh if I was 20 years younger!

When Exercise and Diet Fail

Catchy title, eh?

When exercise and diets fail…..but wait…there’s a problem…THEY DON”T FAIL!

This week I was looking for topics to blog about.  seems like every time I turned around…the facts presented themselves that exercise, healthy foods, and vitamins can help with everything from:

• depression
• weight loss
• autism
• ADD/ADHD
• diabetes….   the list goes on

  Balancing exercise with healthy food and women vitamins

When we exercise and take care of ourselves, we feel good, we create all kinds of natural chemicals and compounds that allow the body to regulate itself in a healthy manner. The manner it was designed to be.

Yet,  for some reason,  we prefer to pretend that our problems can only be cured with pills, prescriptions and other people’s programs.

Somewhere on the path, we have lost the ability or desire to save ourselves…we are not proactive– we are reactive. We would rather place the blame on someone else and forget that we are  solely responsible for ourselves.  We want quick and easy and painless “fixes” …  forgetting that sweat equity, dedication, and investment bring personal rewards returns on so many levels.

Somewhere in the last 40 years we have bought the theory that a pill can fix everything…I remember my grandma’s medicine cabinet….holding toothpaste, deodorant, aspirin, Vick’s vapor-rub, tea tree oil, oil of cloves, oil of peppermint…..and that assortment seemed enough to see her thru 86 years of independent healthy living….no arthritis, no heart issues, no broken bones.

Gram worked all her life, walked and walked, drank gallons of coffee, baked and shared her creations with others, attended church, drove like an Indy 500 racer, and passed of a stroke in her sleep.  I think she would have been baffled by life today…Her mantra was “mind over matter, Kersty.”  She believed you were in charge of your life and you were supposed to do what had to be done; no self pity, no waiting to be saved by others or by pills or by some magic mystical thinking.

Bill Mahr, a favorite comedian of mine has a set that sort of focuses on this same issue:

EIRO Research Unveils New Product and New Tools for Growing Your Home-based Business

What a fabulous time LuEllyn and I had in Dallas this last weekend.  We went down to be a part of EIRO Research’s Official Launch Event and it lived up to all of our expectations.  What did we expect at the launch event?  Meeting new people, connecting with friends and business partners, learning more about growing our business, seeing a new product unveiled, and learning more about the new tools and resources that EIRO Research is putting into place and making available for it’s associates.

It’s always great to see friends and business partners from all across the country.  These are friends that we made at the pre-launch last March, the leadership conference and retreat up in Virginia at the home of Bo and Sandy Short, and by connecting with these wonderful people via Facebook.  We also made many more friends this weekend… each one we consider to be a part of our growing family at EIRO Research.

But, enough of my rambling.  I’m just going to let one of EIRO Research’s Founding Partners and our friend, Bo Short, give you the recap of what happened in Dallas at the launch event.  Watch this video…

Amy's Organic Food

So for the last two weeks or so I have been trying out Amy’s Frozen Organic food….and it is awesome.

I also like Kashi cookies – the dark chocoloate cookie is the best.And their frozen meals are good too.

In the last week, I actually feel better, I am regular and I feel more calm. Go figure. I don’t snack so much. And I feel fuller sooner.

On the coffee front, I have coffee in the morning but I dont feel so chained and addicted to it.  I need a cup by midday as opposed to first thing in the morning.

Feelin good!

Tweetwhatyoueat and why it irritates me.

I have a new pet-hate – tweetwhatyoueat. For those people who don’t know what it is, and until a day or two ago, I didn’t, it is a twitter-like website on which you enter what you have eaten ( or ‘tweaten’, a word that now joins ‘veg’ and ‘carb’ on my list of annoying words ).

I have no issue with listing what you eat ( although one has to ask if it is really that interesting to anyone else ) but the page suggests you list the calorie content too as if calories were the only thing worth listing. I have read that the site has helped people lose weight as they can see how many calories they are consuming, but reducing calories isn’t the only factor when it comes to weight loss, far from it. Highlighting the calorie content of food misses the point completely, and simply perpetuates the notion that food is something that has to be conquered, a battle that is waged, which some days you win, other days you don’t.

I see that they also offer a service whereby one can “track and manage your taboo food list” simply by making a note of it. Oh dear.

If you see an avocado and simply see it as having 340 calories, then you are completely missing the point. What about the mono-unsaturated fats, vitamin K, folic acid, vitamin B6, potassium and lutein? To my mind they are more important than calories.

As long as you see food as something that either makes you fat or thin, and whilst sites like this may have some benefits, they do perpetuate this notion, then you are more likely to battle with your weight.

Understand food instead, educate yourself about what to eat and how the food groups work and you will never have to count another calorie again. Nor will you have to log on and write it down.

Fat?

Trans fats are artificially produced fats that are very unhealthy. The consumption of trans fats is one of the main causes for the obesity epidemic. Trans fats are used in thousands of food products.

The health risks of trans fats include obesity, cancer, clogged arteries, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, birth defects, allergies in children, etc.

Food manufactures use (partially) hydrogenated oils because it increases the shelf life of food products. This means less spoilage, less loss and therefore more profit! In addition, products with trans fat tend to taste quite good. Trans fats are used in fast food, chips, baked goods, french fries, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp0nc4kY-tc

Trans fats are produced through the hydrogenation of vegetable oils such as sunflower and soybean oil. During this chemical process hydrogen molecules are added to the oil molecules and the oil becomes solid as in margarine.

When consuming natural fats, it takes the body 18 days to metabolize half of them. When consuming trans fats, it takes the body 51 days to metabolize half of them. This means that of all the trans fats you eat half of it will still be in your body 51 days later!  No wonder obesity is such an epidemic.
Food products will contain trans fat if they include any of the following ingredients: hydrogenated oil, partially hydrogenated oil, hydrogenated fat, partially hydrogenated fat, shortening, margarine.

Butter also contains a small amount of natural trans fat. This is not as harmful as chemically produced trans fat. However, since butter is an animal-based food it will still cause clogging of the arteries!

Interesterified oils are unhealthy as well as these are a mix of fully hydrogenated oils with liquid unsaturated oils. They are NOT labeled as trans fat!

Some foods now contain modified, fractionated or solidified oils. These are produced by mixing fluid unsaturated vegetable oils with solid saturated fats such as palm oil. These oils are not as unhealthy as they are made from natural oils.

Consumers have repeatedly been warned about the health effects of saturated fats, especially saturated animal fats(grain feed). However, trans fats are much worse.

The healthiest oil for frying and cooking is coconut oil as it remains stable at high temperatures and it does not break down into carcogenic compounds, unlike unsaturated oils like olive oil. Coconut oil remains stable because it has a high content of saturated fat. Not all saturated fats are bad for you!

Even if the label says zero trans fats it is false as manufacturers are allowed to have up to .5 of a gram before it becomes anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!  How crazy is that.  It wouldn’t take much to reach a few grams at that rate which becomes a dangerous level.  Am I the only one who thinks this is irresponsible?????????????

Tips for lowering your trans fat intake:

1. Choose liquid vegetable oils, or choose a soft tub margarine that contains little or no trans fats.

2. Avoid eating commercially prepared baked foods such as cookies, pies, donuts, snack foods and processed foods, including fast foods. To be on the safe side, assume that all such products contain trans fats unless they are labeled otherwise.

3. When foods with (partially) hydrogenated oils can not be avoided, choose products that list the partially hydrogenated oils near the end of the ingredient list.

4. To avoid trans fats in restaurants, stay away from desserts and deep-fried foods, as many restaurants still use partially hydrogenated oils in their fryers.

5. Remember to shop in the outside aisles of the grocery store.  This is where you will find great sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. (polyunsaturated fatty acids)  Fish, especially salmon, flaxseed oils, nuts, especially walnuts, seeds, lugumes, fruits.  Grass feed chicken and beef.

Do your health a big favor and remove the trans fat toxic chemicals out of your diet!

There are only two days left in our Octoberfest Celebration week.  Tell your friends to call Jaci today to make an appointment.  270-2111

 

Stay Well,

 

Dr. Vince Hassel

Something's gotta give and it better be my waistline

So I’ve been fat since I was about 5 or 6 years old – don’t ask me how; and during college I put on quite a bit of weight. During the 3 years since, however, I’ve lost quite a bit. But a couple of months ago I began to feel extremely uncomfortable in my own skin. It seemed I put on about 8 pounds which felt like the world because I guess the 8 pounds just spread out and I had some more inches on me.

In any case I decided I was gonna work that weight off. I needed to reach my goal weight and lose 50 pounds. 50 pounds – that’s a lot!!! Soooo I started my new weight loss regime and have been exercising about 3-4 days per week; I even curbed my appetite and I gotta say -I am feeling sooo good.

It’s been two weeks and my clothes have been fitting a little better, so hopefully I can stick with it. Gooooo Meeee!

HYC Update - A new game & WW decision

The weeks are flying by and we’re smack-dab in the middle of October already.  I can’t believe it!  It seems like summer was only a week ago.  Today’s weather tells me otherwise, though – the rains have started and it’s windy and pouring outside.  I love this type of weather, although it take a bit of extra motivation to go outside and get to the gym.  (I don’t know how those of you who live where it snows do it!).

This is going to be a bit of a mish-mosh post.  I have a couple of different topics to cover, so here goes…

On Friday I received my much-awaited Biggest Loser game for the Wii.  I was too wiped out on Friday to try it out, but it’s one of the first things I did on Saturday.

After setting up the user profile (I chose Ali as my BL contestant), this was one of the first screens I came to.  It allows you to start the fitness program they’ve designed for you, based on your goals.  My goal was to “lose a lot of weight,” but they have different settings like toning up, losing a small amount of weight, etc.  I chose to do the fitness program, and I chose Jillian as my trainer (for now) as well as the beginner setting.  Saturday was upper body day, and the workout was fairly intense – 3 sets of boxing moves (cardio), 3 sets of plank and push-ups (on the knees, rather than “real” push-ups), and 3 sets of something else that I’m forgetting (old age is bad, I’m telling ya).  I really liked that each exercise went straight into the next one, with only 30 seconds in between.  It allowed me to get my heart rate up and according to my BodyBugg, it helped me burn 262 calories in about 30 minutes.

After the main workout, I decided to check out some of the other offerings.

It weighed me, of course.  This was actually done first, and my next weigh-in (which I’m assuming will be in one week, next Saturday, should prove interesting).

In the Health & Lifestyle section, they have 1000s of recipes to choose from.  I am always looking for interesting breakfast options, and saw this recipe for lemon mini muffins. While it’s cool that they offer this, I wish there was some way to email yourself the recipe, because copying the info down from the t.v. screen seems sort of clunky.  Still, I do think it’s nice that they have this as part of the game.  It goes with the idea that weight loss really is a lifestyle change, and not just about diet or just about exercise, but as a combination of the two.

One “fun” aspect of this “just do it” game is the challenge section.  You can do the different challenges (just like the BL contestants).  I did one where I had to get my Mii (Ali) across a tightrope.  The Mii was on top of the tightrope, clutching it with her arms in front of her and her legs behind her (kind of on all-fours, but suspended from the air).  I was wondering what sort of movement they’d have me to do get her across, and then a little pop-up window came on the screen with Jillian showing that I should run in place, raising my knees and pumping my arms.  The faster I moved, the faster my Mii made it across the tightrope.  It was a fun way to get me to run in place for two minutes.  The next part of the challenge was to help my Mii release some balloons.  She was supposed to nail a board into a basket (or something like that), and to mimic this, they had me doing overhead ax chops, which actually got my heart rate up.  Both parts of the challenge were really fun.

Overall, I think I’m going to like this game a lot, and although it’s not “fun” like the Wii Fit Plus, it does get the job done.  Just like on the show, the trainers on the game are really down to business.  Your motivation comes from them telling you you’re doing well or that you need to step it up.  I think this would be a great compliment to anyone’s normal workout, especially if they didn’t have the money (or the time) to hire a personal trainer, because many of the moves are similar to ones that I’m doing with Jimmy in the gym.

__________________

I went to two different WW meetings over the weekend (go me!), and while both of them were OK, neither of them really knocked my socks off.  The leaders were both sweet, and the groups were fine, but nothing that made me say to myself, “this is the meeting you belong at.” Ever since I decided to do personal training 3 times a week and I realized I’d have to change my Thursday meeting, I’ve been really debating about whether or not I even need to go to a meeting at all anymore.

Seeing Jimmy that often provides me a ton of motivation and keeps me very accountable.  He always asks me how my food is going, and I am always honest with him, even when he gives me a hard time about eating one of my mom’s enchiladas.  (He was so upset with me for eating this, even when I told him she made it in a much lower calorie way, he just kept saying, “that’s not how you get to goal, Bella!” And boy, did he take it out on me with my workout that night!).  I’m always going to be honest with him, because it seems silly not to.  After all, he’s helping me with my goal, but if he wants it more than I do, it won’t work.  So there’s really no point in not being honest.  Plus, I know that my food can’t be perfect all the time, and as long as I factor the points (calories) in, I’ll stay on target.

So, I’ve decided to end my WW Monthly Pass and start doing WW Online instead.  It will save me $20/month, and I’ll still have access to all the tools I use everyday.  Plus, I feel that between this blog, personal training with Jimmy, and the support I get from my friends, family, and you bloggers, I’ll be just fine.

Since I can now weigh myself any day I’d like, I’m going to begin with Weigh-In Wednesdays.  It feels like the perfect day – middle of the week, not near the weekend, and after a night off from personal training.  When I was weighing myself everyday (just to see trends), I noticed that my weight went up a bit each morning after I had had a personal training session the night before.  I’m not sure if this is extra water weight, or what.  Since I don’t go to the gym on Tuesdays, Wednesday morning is the perfect weigh-in day.

____________________

With my decision about not attending WW meetings, it means that now I have to look for motivation and accountability within myself.  I don’t think this will be hard to do, because once I have a goal, I’m like a dog with a bone.  Although, once in a while it’s difficult to get myself “amped up” to keep up the pace I’ve set for myself.  And that’s when I look to others (like you) to support me.

How do you stay motivated?

Dr Kelly Sennholz Discusses: Vitamin D Important to Physical Performance in the Elderly

Numerous studies have documented epidemic levels of vitamin D deficiency in the population at large and in particular, the elderly suffer excessive rates of deficiency due, in part, to lower levels of sun exposure.  Studies have documented increased rates of infections and pneumonia in elderly subjects with vitamin D deficiency.  Another recent study took a look at physical performance related to vitamin D deficiency.

 

A recent journal article in the Journals of Gerontology reported vitamin D plays a critical role in musculoskeletal function.  In this reported study, researchers found an association between vitamin D status and physical performance in a sample of almost a thousand persons over the age of 65. Initial blood tests revealed nearly 3/4 of women and over half of men had vitamin D levels that were considered insufficient.  Subjects were analyzed using handgrip strength and a physical performance battery, including measures of walking speed, ability to stand from seated position and maintenance of balance.  Among those subjects with low vitamin D levels, physical performance and grip strength were significantly lower than those without a deficiency.  Researchers included consideration of other variables and results maintained validity.

 

Physical performance and ability to conduct activities of daily living along with getting adequate exercise are related to numerous other disease states such as diabetes, heart and vasculature disease, impotence, obesity along with all complications of obesity.  These study results are stunning in their illustration of the apparent dependence on vitamin D for vitality.

 

Recommendations for daily supplemental vitamin D intake have increased in the last 2 years for elderly and our youngsters.  For elderly, intake of at least 600 IU of vitamin D is currently the governmental standard.  I personally recommend intakes of approximately 1200-2000 IU per day.  Since vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, it is possible to take too much.  Consult your physician for further information on supplemental intake of this critical nutrient.

*************

Any information, medical or otherwise, contained in this blog is purely for entertainment and is not intended as medical advice or medical treatment.  Please consult your own doctor for any medical advice or treatment.

The Simple Joys of Walking in Nature

What a glorious day for a walk!  Imagine this:  Rochester, NY, a sunny Saturday afternoon in mid-October with a temperature near 60 degrees.  If you’re familiar with our part of the world, that’s a really great day for this time of year.  Not too many days like that left in our fall season as temperatures cool significantly, days are much shorter, and our first snow could come at any time.

I was committed to walking in nature today for an hour.  I needed the time away from the traffic noise of my neighborhood; time to listen to birds and running water; time to feel the bright sun on my skin; and time to think.   By walking in the afternoon sun, I also get to maximize my Vitamin D absorption. 

I chose a beautiful local park – Corbett’s Glen.  In this spot, there are two beautiful water falls in the flowing stream of Allens Creek.  The trees and other flora there are interesting and showing the beauty of their changing fall colors.  As testimony to the beauty of this place, not one, but two, wedding parties were there during my hour-long visit posing for a multitude of pictures by each of the falls.

I also chose this site today because it has steep inclines.  I am currently enjoying the challenges of climbing small inclines and hills as a way to push my body beyond just walking flat land at a brisk pace.  I can feel the muscles of my thighs and butt (yay!) working to pull me up the inclines.  It’s an awesome feeling that I’m feeling the lack of when my only walk is around the neighborhood. 

For me, getting this more strenuous exercise in a natural setting is far more fulfilling than climbing stairs somewhere.  I went out of my way today to climb as many as inclines possible.  I didn’t really want to stop either but I knew my family was waiting my arrival to start cooking dinner.

The simple joys of walking in nature filled my soul today:  relative quiet, nature sounds of birds and rushing water, the changing leaves, and the timeless joy of my feet touching Earth.

How I did today:
1.  Sleep - 7 hours last night
2.  Exercise - 60 minutes of brisk walking 
3.  Strength training - not yet 
4.  Yoga – nope
5.  Meditation – none
6.  Food – a few too many meat and starches and 2 servings of chocolate

How I did today:
1.  Sleep - 7 hours last night
2.  Exercise -  30 minutes of brisk walking
3.  Strength training - not yet 
4.  Yoga – nope
5.  Meditation – none
6.  Food – good balance with lots of veggies

How I did today:
1.  Sleep - 8 hours last night
2.  Exercise - 25 minutes of brisk walking and a 40 minute bike ride
3.  Strength training - not yet 
4.  Yoga – nope
5.  Meditation – none
6.  Food – I don’t remember

Need A Memory Boost? Try This Secret Tactic, and Lose Weight at the Same Time!

By Rob Huntley, AHJ Editor As you get older, you might expect one of the “symptoms” of aging to be memory loss. You might chalk this up to the aging process and figure there’s nothing you can really do about it. But guess what? There is something that you can do to prevent memory loss and even improve your memory: cutting down on calorie consumption. Keep reading to find out the most recent details of research on diet and memory. 
According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PSNAS), a study was performed on 50 people of the average age of 60. They were divided into three groups: one group reduced their calorie intake by 30 percent, another group on a diet filled with unsaturated fat (such as that which is found in fish and olive oil) and a third group that just continued with their everyday diet.  
Before the study, all of the participants scored the same on a memory test. After three months into the study, those who were on the restricted diet scored 20 percent higher when it came to the memory test than those who were in the other groups (whose memory did not improve at all). 
It was discovered that the group on the restricted calorie diet had better scores that were in conjunction with decreases of insulin and C-reactive proteins.  
Although the study was a relatively low when it came to numbers, it concluded that cutting back 30 percent on calorie intake can have an improvement in memory, due to the metabolic changes that result from the decreased amount of calories. The medical community is working on a drug that will mimic the same effects of calorie reduction. Drugs have been tested on mice and have shown benefits when it comes to calorie restrictions but the memory impact on the mice have not yet been studied.  
According to Anthony Komaroff, MD, the editor in chief of the Harvard Health Letter, severe calorie restrictions may not be possible for some people, although there are those who are sticking with this plan in order to improve their memories. Komaroff hopes that a medication can be created to help give the brain the signal of fewer calories that will help improve memory in older individuals.  
As you get older, you need fewer calories because your metabolism naturally slows down. However, many people do not take in fewer calories because they are used to a certain diet. While it may be difficult to adjust your calorie consumption, it can have other positive health benefits in addition to improved memory. Calorie reduction can limit obesity, decrease the risk for heart disease and also decrease the risk for diabetes, a common disease associated with obesity and often related to age.
Of course, before cutting a drastic amount of calories from your diet, you should consult your doctor or other healthcare provider to weigh the risks and benefits of doing so. Get Strong!Stay Strong! Chris

New Wine in Old Wineskins

We’ve been told that it is “folly” to put new wine into old wineskins.  The old wineskin will crack and the new wine will eventually leak out.  An application of this lesson to my 100 lb weight loss journey is that I need to exercise caution in my responses to “well wishers”.  I need to learn that not all “well wishers” are sincere and it doesn’t take much for jealousy to rear its ugly head. The new wine represents my new attitude, my new resolve to stick to the task at hand,  even my new clothing that shows my 48 lb loss.  I’m busy about encouraging myself and looking for impetus and motivation.  I’m even cooking and baking “stuff”.  This is not my normal mode of operation.  And I guess I was receiving the compliments as “new wine”.  But the old wineskins of jealousy and rebelliousness against authority just don’t work well with the new wine of a positive attitude and optimistic determination.  I’m not allowing these comments and/or “acting  out” displays to throw me off as I would have done in the past.  Some big people are big because they insulate their tender feelings by applying layers and layers of unhealthy fat. These layers are a natural repellent and the world keeps its distance.  Well, world – this is a new day with a generous supply of new wine. And we’re moving on.  If you can’t be a sincere encouragement, then I advise you to move aside. I have a task to perform, a goal to reach and a Mighty God who can keep me motivated to get there.

top five weight loss tips

Virtually every woman’s magazine and ad on the right-hand side of your Facebook page advertises a quick slim-down “solution,” sure fire ways to melt the fat in… ONE week?  10 DAYS?  Nuh uh.  I’ll relate my weight loss story another time (size 14 to size 6!)… but, it started with a conscious decision to change my thinking around eating.

First of all — don’t expect a quick weight or body shape change ever.  You need a good 6-8 weeks of good eating and exercise…also gives you time to create a routine and good habits.  I have a few strategies to get you started – they are not profound and it’s nothing you haven’t read before, but if nothing else, these tips can get you going down the right path.

Here are DeirdreSpeak’s weight loss Top 5:

1. Drink H2O – aside from the hydration and cleansing benefits, drinking water keeps you away from sugary drinks and curbs your appetite.  Snacking (on junk food) is a huge weakness for me; water fills me up, keeps me satisfied until the next meal.
2. Become calorie conscious – this was something I never wanted to do — I couldn’t be bothered because it seemed like a hassle to calculate calories for everything I ate.  But, try becoming calorie conscious – simply flip over the packaging on whatever it is you’re about to eat and make a mental note of the calories per serving.  Your goal is approximately 2000 calories per day (I’ll talk to you about good, bad, and ugly calories later)
3. Reduce or better yet, eliminate simple carbohydrates – sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice.  These foods break down quickly, and in the absence of high intensity exercise, get stored as fat.  Limit high GI fruit & vegetables (check the glycemic index website for a list).  Use a zero calorie sugar substitute such as Splenda.
4. Take small bites – you’ll send your brain the appropriate message about how full you really are.  If you eat too much too fast, your brain won’t realize you’re full until you’ve consumed twice the calories you should have.
5. Run or walk – I’m a firm believer in high intensity cardio coupled with a good weight training routine to really axe those pounds.  Customize with any other physical activity you want: yoga, pilates, swimming, hip hop dance, etc.  My best combo was ballet + running + weight training.  But, as a mom with limited time and a lapsed gym membership, a regular run (20 minutes, 3-4 times a week is great!) or long walk.

I want to talk about food as fat burning fuel – but, that’s another blog.

24 Hours: 0 Minutes of Exercise

Today has gone so quickly I can hardly believe it.  And, not a minute of brisk walking or other real exercise.  My body is feeling the lack.  My muscles are hungry for work.  Since it’s 9:30 at night, I think it best to let it go for tonight.  Exercise too close to bedtime keeps me awake.

What did I do with my day?  I gave my body its routine morning care including breakfast.  I spent a few hours working for money and talking with a friend.  Then lunch and off for an afternoon at my friend’s farm.  A couple of errands, dinner, a class, and now blogging.  All while being available for or engaged with my nine year old son.  A full day and, yet, nothing really unusual happened. 

This is how I lose attention to my physical body in the form of exercise.  The days are full -especially given my role as mother and earner of money, along with the regular stuff.  A whole day and no exercise.  I’m not complaining.  The choices of time allocation were largely mine.

On the plus side, I was fed by friendships today.  As I breathe through an emotionally difficult time, my soul needs the nourishment of Love from my friends.  In that regard, my being was well attended to today.

Tomorrow, I’ll see if I can have both.

How I did today:
1.  Sleep - 7.5 hours last night
2.  Exercise - none – just some low key farm work 
3.  Strength training - not yet 
4.  Yoga – nope
5.  Meditation – 10 minutes as soon as I finish writing
6.  Food – chili for breakfast and dinner, bacon, eggs and hash browns for lunch.  Not so good for veggies and fruits though I ate 3 apples!  2 servings of chocolate

Things i've learned on my weight loss journey....

This is for those of you who have been following me on my quest for a “Muffin-Top Free” life… (and anyone else who cares enough to read… lol! ;) I have reached my goal, (and then some) 4 months after my journey started…. i’ve lost close to 40lbs… I started at 165lbs+ and now weigh in at 128lbs and am a sz.4! This is the least i’ve weighed in almost 10 years!!!

To be honest with you, this is the very FIRST time i’ve ever lost weight the RIGHT way, the HEALTHY way, and made it a COMPLETE lifestyle change… i’ve lost weight before after having my kids I had to lose the “baby weight”, but did so by either barely eating, counting fat grams, food combining, strict rules, etc… stupid, stupid, stupid!! Well this time I knew I wanted to do it right and I needed it to become my lifestyle. NOT something I did till I lost the weight and then went back to “normal” eating again. This is the most amount of weight i’ve ever had to lose… after having my 4th I was tired, run down, and honestly, didn’t care enough about myself to put in the time & effort it takes to lose weight the healthy way. After stepping on my mom’s scale last Mother’s Day and seeing that 165+ (i’m thinking it was 168 in all honesty!) I thought to myself.. OMG! It’s now or never… i’d never let myself weight that much before, i’d actually GAINED weight since having my 4th child. UGH! I looked & felt horrible… I never had any energy, hated squeezing my ass into jeans that were too tight, and hated that my “muffin tops” stopped me from wearing the clothes that I wanted to. All my shirts had to be baggy to hide my muffin tops.

So I started eating healthy & exercising the very next day, NO excuses, no “I don’t have enough time”, “I don’t have enough money to buy healthy food”, “I’m too tired” blah, blah, blah. If there’s *ONE THING* i’ve learned throughout this process is that THERE IS NO EASY WAY & YOU HAVE TO ***REALLY*** WANT IT!! Not, sort of, not maybe, now when you have enough time, you have to WANT IT MORE THAN ANYTHING.

How did I lose the weight? For the first couple months I counted calories, every single calorie I consumed, and I exercised daily (usually 6x week) for 30-50 minutes. I used assorted DVD”s, The 30 Day Shred, Leslie Sansone DVD’s, Jillian Micheal assorted DVD’s, Kathy Smith DVD’s, really, anything I could get my hands on and would mix things up for me! Over the last couple months though i’ve been mostly using my Wii!! It’s my FAVOURITE!! Super fun & you don’t feel like it’s exercise… i’ve been doing the EA Sports Active for the last month and a bit on the high intensity level. Along with that I play Wii Fit (I absolutely LOVE Yoga now and try to get in 1/2 hr a day), and then I walk everywhere, and then taking care of 4 kids and a husband probably helps too! lol!!

After a couple of months of calorie counting and reading up on clean & intuitive eating, I stopped counting calories and trusted that my body would tell me when I was hungry and when I had enough. And it did! Go figure!  I no longer crave ‘crap’… I stay away from processed products, no fast food, have cut sugar out of my diet (save for a tsp or 2 in my coffee in the morning) and try to stay away from white flour products as well. My diet focuses on fruits (i’m an addict), veggies, whole grain products, lean meats & eggs, yogurt & full fat cheese! yum! lol! I’m lactose intolerant, so use rice milk instead. AND, I do still have the odd treat here and there, but mostly I don’t want crap. So I will have some dark chocolate almost daily… don’t kid yourself, i’m not a saint. lol!! I still exercise 5-6 days a week, and not to lose weight anymore, not because it’s the “right” thing to do, but because I WANT & NEED it.. my body craves it. I feel so good after getting in my daily workout! Even over the last couple days while i’ve had this head cold i’ve been doing 30 minutes of Yoga because it feels great!! So I do what I feel my body needs.. feeling crappy I wouldn’t do 45 minutes of high intensity exercise, but 1/2 hour of yoga feels wonderful when you’re feeling blah! Fresh air always does a body good too!

My best piece of advice is probably like the good old Nike saying goes… JUST DO IT! You can go full force 100% right at once, or you can take it baby step by baby step, whatever works for you!! For myself, I did everything at once, but I know for some a great starting goal is 8 glasses of water a day and a 20 minute walk, then next week add in eating your 3-5 veggies, then switching over to brown bread from white bread, etc… so do what you have to do to get there, but JUST DO IT! If you’re looking for some inspiration take a peek over at my Health & Well Being blogroll links… these are the women who have inspired & encouraged me through my journey! I’ve learned something from each and every one of them and they’ve inspired me in many ways!! So I thank everyone on that list!

And that’s my post for now… i’m feeling much better today, just stuffy today, I do love being healthy!! I know people who have been sick with this cold that seems to be going around for WEEKS… so 3 days for me, not bad! I can handle 3 days.. LOL!

Have a fabulous day & thanks for stopping by and reading!!

A quote for today:

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Acai berry pills - Reviews of Acai Berry Pills

Acai berry pills are gaining celebrity really fast particularly after being adopted by top stars for e.g. Oprah Winfrey. I am sure after knowing that Oprah has used and lost weight through Acai berry pills you all also wish to eat it but you need to first know what Acai berry is?

Acai berry is a berry having an almond shape, it is grown in Amazon. The people of Amazon call it their most dear treasure, as this small berry contains all the minerals and berries a human body needs.

Discussed below is the encouraging feedback that WSJ gave on Acai Berry Pills :

Xlent berry – These Acai berry pills are most advised by Dr. Perricone of Fox stories. These pills cut down the appetite ; they are a very powerful cleanser that assists in losing pounds and is an energy enhancer that increases the metabolism to melt down calories quickly . It also saves you from gas, constipation and bloating.

Learn more about acai berry pills

Acai Berry Power 1200 – These Acai berry pills are way more known to shed pounds excessively and boost metabolism, also they are a great system flusher, they flush out all the toxin from your body, making it energetic.

Acai Burn- These Acai berry pills are made from pulp and are considered awfully useful in weight loss.

All of these Acai berry pills have a hundred percent pure berry in them. The pulp utilized in them is natural therein ; assists in washing out bacteria from your body, making your body better and healthy. It’s a pure, flush, clear, and ultimate White Tea.

They also slow down the aging process. These Acai berry pills have a particularly delightful taste and can be taken into mouth with out any fear of bad taste.

To popularize the sales of Acai berry pills many companies give away free bottles as a no-cost trial. Once the users experience ultimate satisfaction they move to standard purchases. If you go to larger cities you’ll find them generally available in all big stores or stacked up fantastically to be sold in health food stores. If in case you can not find them in stores then you can definitely find them online .

There are plenty of ecommerce companies selling a variety of these products. Simply make sure before buying that no synthetic chemicals are included in them. Many online sites also offer free trials, you don’t have to pay the tablets price but you have got to pay the shipping cost. Read the terms and conditions properly to see that no further costs are included.

Learn more about acai berry pills

More articles:
Acai berry pills – How good is acai berry pills?
Acai berry pills – How good is acai berry pills?
Acai berry pills – How good is acai berry pills?
Acai berry pills – Benefits of acai berry pills

My Journey

Since I can remember I’ve had a weight problem, I was born big…although I was my mom’s smallest- she made big babies. It has caused my to have issues with my self-esteem. I have tried any and every diet there is out there and have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on diet plans, pills, video’s, magazines, etc. Seems like I get on a diet and lose some weight then once I hit a plateau, I start giving up and thinking I can do it on my own. So I decided that 2009 was going to be a new year for me, I was going to take things serious, it was no longer going to be a “diet” but a life-style change for me. I had hit my highest weight not pregnant which was more than I weighed with 2 of  my pregnancies (full term) and decided to start exercising and eating right. So from January to April I only lost 6lbs. Realized that maybe I needed some help, since Weight Watchers has been successful for me in the past, I decided to rejoin, this time I would not stop attending the meetings and think that I would be able to continue the plan on my own. So since April I have continued to exercise 3-5 days a week and have incorporated ww as a way of life for me. However, it has been a slow, steady progress. Since April I’ve lost 20.8, so a total of 26.8 until tonight…… I weighed in and gained 1.9- what!?! I was shocked, disappointed, mad, angry, sad and all I wanted to do was come home and find something good to eat But instead, I looked at myself and said, “self, you can do this, you will do this, so what if it takes you till this time next year (btw self- it better not), keep your chin up and pressing on. So my weight loss journey hasn’t been as steady of decline as I would like for it to be but I’m closer to a new me than I was in January!

You are losing weight because you have cancer

You are losing weight because you have cancer…

Yes believe it or not that was actually told to me by a family member?!?! What do you say to that? So I was talking to said person, and I get the “how much do you weigh now?” comment that I’ve been getting a lot lately. I say 173 pounds I haven’t been on the scale in weeks. That’s how busy I’ve been. At this point i am beyond busy. Anyway that before mentioned person apparently didn’t believe me and tried to tell me that I was about 130 pounds. Umm no, I think I would have a better idea then some random guesstimate from a family member. So apparently since I’m a liar or delusional. This family member, now remember this is immediate family the only reason I’m not saying who is because it would make the situation seem even more crazy, then precedes to get a scale and make me weigh myself. Even though I was reaching the point of being majorly annoyed. I got on the scale, and it said 169. So granted i was 4 pounds off, but I haven’t been on a scale in two weeks. Waking up at 5 am to be at the hospital at 7 in the morning leaves no time to mess around with the scale. Then once again I get the same question that I got from the doctor that time I went about my anxiety(read back a few posts to see what I am talking about). This family member, she hits me with the, “are you trying to lose weight?’ What? Huh? Oh here we go again! So i say I am trying to loose weight. But lately I’ve been kinda slacking, no exercise and eating fast food often, well very often(Burger kings angry tendercrisp sandwich should be my new name). So even though lately I am a little off I am still mindful of my food choices and such. But apparently that comment wasn’t good enough because then she asks me if I got my MRI done yet (back when I had to have emergency surgery the docs recommended that I get an MRI on my pelvic bone because there are some scars/lesions there). But the doctor said it could just be normal from when the bones were growing, if it was serious I would be having lots of pain in the area. But they wanted me to schedule an MRI just to be 100%. So granted I haven’t got it done yet. The only days I have free are Monday’s and I haven’t even had a free one of those in a while. But back to the story. So i tell her I haven’t gotten the MRI yet, and she goes,  ”you are losing weight because you have cancer, you know cancer can cause weight loss!”. I just have to lol at that one. Sure not diet, not exercise but cancer?! WoW who knew?! Now if that’s not frustrating then what is? That’s just the most recent craziness that’s been going on in my life. I’ll be back later today to fill you in on what’s been going on while I was gone. Thanks to those who still visited in my absence.

The Full Catastrophe

Jon Kabat-Zinn refers to life, especially life with family, as “The Full Catastrophe.”  It sure can feel that way at times.  Under the best of circumstances, a family means lots of activity and a lot of love.  Under the worst, lots of chaos and conflict.  Hopefully your family is a balance between these two extremes.  Mine right now is not.

Still with the strong “wanting something more,” I remain committed to self-care.  Thus the two days off of blogging.  And I haven’t pushed myself to add strength training and yoga into my routine despite my intentions to do so this week.  My family is in crisis.  I’ve had little sleep in the last few weeks.  The future looks scary.  However, I am managing to maintain a reasonable diet and I’m keeping some time for exercise.  My body now complains when I don’t give it exercise.  Yay!

I think I finally get it that I am the only one whom I can count on to make space for me and to take care of me.  And so it is.

How I did today:
1.  Sleep - 9.5 hours last night
2.  Exercise - 20 minutes of brisk walking and 60 minutes of bike riding with a bike trailer, too
3.  Strength training - not yet 
4.  Yoga – nope
5.  Meditation – 10 minutes as soon as I finish this post
6.  Food – lots of fruit and veggies and a little extra chocolate

How I did Friday:
1.  Sleep - 6 hours last night
2.  Exercise - none
3.  Strength training - not yet 
4.  Yoga – nope
5.  Meditation – not today
6.  Food – don’t remember

How I did Thursday:
1.  Sleep - 4 hours last night
2.  Exercise - none
3.  Strength training - not yet 
4.  Yoga – nope
5.  Meditation – not today
6.  Food – light eating and two servings of chocolate

The Climb

I wasn’t gonna write this one….

About a month or so ago I was watching the Hannah Montana movie with my niece.  I had promised her we would watch a movie and she got to pick.  In my mind, I knew it would end up being this one or the Jonas Brothers concert video (oh to be 9 again!) but I was hoping that perhaps she might pick something different and surprise me.

I got surprised though when at the end, this song was sung, by the latest Disney role model for all people age 7-11 years old, and I found myself tearing up as I listened to the lyrics.  I know.  Don’t laugh at me.  It is a song sung by a girl who lives a double life and is struggling to figure out who she is as she navigates this journey through life.  Hmm that sounds familiar somehow.

Anyway, here is the song.  I was gonna put the official video up, but that video(in all its cheesy-ness) just discounts the power of the lyrics, so you get this really plain one with scrolling lyrics only instead.

Why I am Dropping the Weight

I’m in the middle of a month-long quest to lose weight.

Now, granted … people who have read this blog before have heard this charge before. Shannon, you’re always trying to lose weight. This has been something you’ve tried to do for years. Give it, up. We’ve heard this old song and dance before.

You see, this time is different. I’m actually losing weight this time.

In May, we estimated that my weight had ballooned to 340 to 343 pounds, give or take. Even though I never saw myself on the scale at 343, I wasn’t keeping an active eye on my weight until after our honeymoon, which we walked quite a bit both in Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

All summer, I stabilized my weight, but eventually spiked my weight back to that 340 plateau.

This is what I was looking like in May.

Handsome, huh?

Then something clicked in about mid August. I saw my wedding photos. I saw photos of me and I was disgusted. And, I committed myself unlike ever before to weight loss.

Here’s what I’ve been doing – Gone is McDonald’s and other fast food meals that have been a staple of my diet for 13 years. Gone are pizzas from Papa John’s and Pizza Hut that have been an excuse to cram tons of fat and calories into my stomach. Gone are high calories snacks and sugary substances like Pop Tarts. Gone are sugary cereals for breakfast. Added more protein, more salads, less portions, and more walking.

I’ve been active in weight loss since Labor Day. That is when I dropped turkey on fast food and haven’t been back sense.

Today, I weighed in at 323. I’m unofficially 20 pounds from my highest weight total ever (we say unofficially because they best we can do is estimate I was at 343). I am 12 to 15 pounds down from where I was on Labor Day.

The results are showing. Clothes are fitting better. I have more energy. I feel like I can move around better and I feel like I look better. I don’t have a good photo of where I am now. That will come, but suffice to say … it’s starting to become more noticeable that I’ve lost 20 pounds.

I’m not happy with where I am at. My weight of 323 is a new high, in my perspective, and I don’t want to be higher than this again. The goals are within site. I’m now 23 pounds from my end-of-2009 goal. I have 53 pounds to get to my next goal and 73 to get to my ultimate goal.

There are deadlines. As I mentioned, 23 pounds (300) by December 31. By March 7, 270 pounds. By May 30 (which would be our one year wedding anniversary) 250 pounds.

Here are some weight milestones for you. If I reach 300 pounds, that will be my lowest since my divorce to my first wife. If I get to 270 pounds, I have not weight that little since college. The same with 250.

The goals are withing sight and I will get there.

I guarantee it.

Weight loss graph tells all

Seven weeks and 11.5 lbs gone

Seven weeks of the 20 lb struggle

A picture is worth a thousand words. So I decided to look at my weight loss progress graphically. It really gives me a clear picture of how things are going. As you can see, the steep weight loss curve is tapering off.  It is becoming more and more difficult to chalk up weight losses each week.  And even when I am successful the amount of weight loss is getting smaller and smaller.

You will also notice that I gained weight one week. This really scared me. I am well aware that such a situation can easily lead to a downward spiral, also known as “the slippery slope.” BUT. I was able to turn things around and I am now happy to report that I am back on track.

One of my concerns is maintaining momentum.  As the weight loss slows down it is easy to get discouraged and bored.  I am beginning to wonder what more I can do.  It seems like I am already doing everything that I know to do to lose weight. I feel good about my food choices and have made a lot of progress on portion control. I am exercising 40 min to 1 hour at the gym three times a week.

Another of my concerns is the upcoming holiday season which starts with Halloween and continues through Thanksgiving and Christmas, ending with New Years. That’s two months jampacked with parties, gatherings and food – food – food! And not just any food. No. We are talking about candy, cake, cookies, pies, stuffing, gravy, potatoes.  The pressure is enormous and the temptation will be great.

I have already seen that eating just a little bit off the straight and narrow can lead to a weight gain and undo what has taken me so much effort to achieve. How will I cope with two full months of delightful food offerings? Will I be able to say “no” time after time after time? Or should I just let myself gain some weight and then struggle back from the abyss once more? What other choices do I have?

My Bike Has A Name

A week ago, I went out with my friend Jen for a bike ride.  I have to say here, Jen has incredible endurance.  She doesn’t ride fast like Coach, but I swear she can ride forever!  Oh to be like her! After 18 miles I was DONE, but could not be done, because we were not at our cars yet.  I still had 4 more miles to go!  So I pedaled on.  I ended up riding 22 miles, which I have NEVER done before!  It was ridiculous!

During our ride, she was admiring my new black bike and asked me what I was going to name it.

Name it?!?!

I had not even thought about naming my bike.  So as we rode, we thought of some names.

Black Beauty

Slim Shady

Black Widow

and Wind something…maybe Wind Rider were some of the ideas we came up with.

As we thought of names I realized if I was going to name this bike it had to represent me.  Feminine, yet strong.  It couldn’t be something all frilly and froo froo…because I am not.  It also had to represent what I am about…living, not dying.   My bike is a tool for living.  It is going to carry me for many miles along this journey and therefore is strong in itself.

Just as we reached the turnaround point of our ride, I joked that I should name the bike Beyonce, because I LOVE the song “Single Ladies”.  Jen then told me that Beyonce has an alter ego, named Sasha Fierce.  I liked it.

This is what Beyonce says about Sasha Fierce:

“I have someone else that takes over when it’s time for me to work and when I’m on stage, this alter ego that I’ve created that kind of protects me and who I really am,” the former Destiny’s Child front woman said in a statement.

“Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I’m working and when I’m on the stage.”-Beyonce

When I am working out or training or in a race, a fierce competitor comes out of me.  I want to do and be my best.   And as the pounds come off a new me is being revealed.  This journey hasn’t so much protected me as much as it has revealed me.  A fierce, fighting ME.  One who will not give up.

But I liked that the name is fun and funky…and fierce.

So the final suggestion came.  Sasha Fierce.  It seemed to fit.  It stuck.

So, meet Sasha Fierce.  The one who will carry me many miles…who will help me live bigger…who will help me fly next spring/summer in a few triathlons and who likes to show me who is boss form time to time!

Posed-after legitimate fall to look like the earlier fall!

a meditation on food

A dear friend recently asked a group of us for our opinion on what people would like to learn about healthy eating and weight loss.  I thought I’d have a concise response, but I am apparently quite passionate on the topic, and decided to jot down my ideas here as well.  (I am finding myself to be passionate about most topics these days…who knew I was so opinionated?!)

I will try to keep this as brief as possible.

First and foremost, healthy eating must be looked at not from solely a physical body perspective, but as a reflection of one’s inner contentment.  A person who feels content with her mind, body, and soul, will be much more likely to make positive eating choices.  As we all know, emotions play an enormous role in how we eat, and why we are eating.  So before creating a thousand rules about what is and is not acceptable to eat, take note of your mental and emotional state of being.

Secondly, or maybe this should be first and foremost…hmm…anyway- awareness.  These days much of our society simply runs on autopilot.  We’ve forgotten the power of remaining conscious throughout everyday activities.  Eating can become as much of a meditation as anything else; becoming aware of every morsel you place in your mouth will persuade you to choose healthier options.  Keeping gratitude at the tip of your tongue wouldn’t hurt either.

Along those lines, I think it is important to have a connection to the origin of your food.  Know where your meat was raised.  Find out if it is injected with antibiotics, hormones, or gluten.  (Yes.  Some meat is injected with gluten to make it look plumper.  Odd.)  Know how your food reached your table- a process that can’t help but procure some gratitude and awareness.

Every person is different.  Everyone’s body type is different, metabolism, likes and dislikes, digestive system…you name it- we’re all unique for a reason.  Listen to that and follow your intuition.  I spent many years (I won’t go into detail for those of you who don’t know me well:) struggling with digestion issues, and found myself incredibly frustrated with the lack of recognition that ‘one size doesn’t fit all.’  Finally I learned about ayurvedic medicine, and through that ancient science of health, and in developing more intuition about myself, I now feel equipped to make the food choices that serve me best.

Last, when considering food options, go for the mantra “Eat Real Food.”  (If you haven’t read that book, it is a great read).  Stay away from the packaged goodies with incomprehensible ingredients (that don’t make any sense anyway) and choose foods that are actually that…food.  Believe me, your taste buds will rejoice.

Healthy eating is about nutrition.  Nutrition is about nurturing.  Be certain the foods you eat truly nourish not only your body, but your mind and spirit as well.  Your health and happiness will thank you for it.

It Feels Good When Other People Start To Notice

My dear, sweet friend, Sue, made my week -and it was only Tuesday.   In the interest of full disclosure, I have told her about my 40 pounds in 40 weeks plan.  Yesterday, without provocation, she told me that she noticed a difference in my body, saying something like, “I can see that it’s working already.”  She mentioned that she could notice from a distance and from the back!  Could there have been a more perfect comment?!

Given that I had only maintained my weight from the previous week, I’ve only lost 3 pounds so far, and that I’m PMSing, I could have flown in that moment.  Well, and in the moments since then that I’ve felt boosted by her comments.  While there was no victory dance last Monday, I have been walking a little taller since yesterday. 

I’m doing this for me.  And, it’s still a good feeling when other’s notice a difference.

How I did today:
1.  Sleep - 6 hours last night (personal anxieties)
2.  Exercise - only about 2 hours easy farm work, movement but not much exercise
3.  Strength training - not yet 
4.  Yoga – nope
5.  Meditation – not today
6.  Food – started the day with a quick bagel for breakfast, otherwise healthy food, and two servings of chocolate.