Cowboys Love Fat Calves

Rant

2012-01-17T23:23:00.002-06:00

I posted this evening, over on my main blog. The post could belong here as well. So, if you feel up to it, and aren't cowering in fear because I was quite hot when I wrote it, wander on over to here and join me in discussion.

If it's not there when you see this post, it'll be back after the SOPA protest is over on 1/19/2012.

Now That The Resolutions Are Waining

2012-01-14T23:27:00.003-06:00

Hi guys...It's BEC here. So kindly invited by Cdn to contribute.

Here we are in the middle of January already, the 'newness' of the New Year already starting to wain...

Are those get fit resolutions dimming in memory?

Myself...I've been hitting the gym pretty regularly for the past few weeks. Mostly working on the weights.

I haven't noticed any dramatic disappearing of cellulite dimples on my backside yet (sigh) and my old nemesis, the sore shins are flaring up (oww!), but on the upside...

The back, shoulder and arm pain I was suffering from is about 99% better. If for no other reason...the relief from that pain will keep me going back at least 3 times a week.

Right now, I am still in the muscle building phase. Trying to get my back and arm muscles balanced (got about a 10 lb. difference going on) and start building some leg, hamstring and glute strength.

So are there any other weight lifters or body sculptures here? Anyone interested and just not sure how to get started?

Being an Angel

2012-01-04T15:58:00.000-06:00

About a month ago Pie & I watched the Victoria's Secret fashion show... that holiday one they always air late November. While I will never be a smoking hot, sexy, leggy model, and don't aspire to be, I do like the show. I like the creativity behind it. And the wings, gotta love the wings lol

There was one segment though where I paused it and turned to Pie to say "What the hell were they thinking?"
There was a song playing that to me just seemed wrong. Sure it was a catchy song, but with all the focus on the fashion industry/modelling and eating disorders/body dysmorphism I just didn't get why they would put a song like that in. The lyrics that caught my attention were:

"You make me wanna die. I'll never be good enough. You make me wanna die."

I actually do like the song, its by Pretty Reckless (I've never heard of them, clicking the link brings up the lyrics) I just don't get why the show producers would pick a song where the most discernible lyrics are those ones. And I have to wonder, if I found the song online and listened to it would it play the same way? Or did they pump up those lyrics in the show?
Anyway, enough about the song. Still want to be an Angel? Not only do you have to be genetically gifted - face it, no matter how much a person diets & works out, if you don't have the genes to achieve it certain things won't happen. But it gets pretty extreme. Adriana Lima, pictured above (via Google image search), dished on what it takes:

Daily workouts starting months before the show

Workouts become twice daily a few weeks before the show

A gallon of water a day

No solid food for 9 days before the show

2 days before show she will start drinking water 'normally'

No water for 12 hours before the show

Daily workouts, that's not so bad. Twice daily doesn't sound bad either. But from what I read of Lima's interview those aren't just workouts, they're hard-core w.o.r.k.o.u.t.s Water is a good thing, but chugging a gallon a day? That's approximately double the "drink 8 glasses a day" standard (don't even get me started on that lol)

The parts that really concern me are the no solid food for 9 days and no water for 12 hours. How many young girls (boys, women, men) with eating disorders saw that advice?

Yeah I want to lose weight, I want to be in shape. But doing that? Not healthy. And that's my main goal!

Wow

2011-12-07T13:50:00.000-06:00

By Mrs Mom

So.. a funny thing happened the other day ago. As I was helping in setting up my mother in laws Christmas tree, she giggled.

"This is probably not the right time to say this, when your butt is sticking up in the air and all, but you've lost a lot of weight!"

Well guess what? In my eyes, ANYTIME someone says that is a good time, whether or not your butt is sticking up in the air, know what I mean?

I have lost weight. My mother in law asked what I was doing to drop the pounds and honestly? I have no clue. None. I eat what I want, when I want it. And as much as I want. But I've found.. I'm not eating MUCH. A bite here, a bite there, and I am good to go. Go we do too- I've had more energy, which means more is getting done, which makes me happier, which means going and doing more makes me feel even BETTER, soo.... the circle continues. And the pounds are dropping.

I wish I could say how much exactly, but we still do not own a scale.
I wish I could tell you exactly what to do or not to do, but I can't.

All I can say is rock on. Move. Find a happy. And see what happens.

Merry Christmas!

It was a trainwreck...

2011-11-30T00:08:00.002-06:00

a sweaty trainwreck.
Have I mentioned that I'm a stereotypical "white girl with NO rhythm"? And I can't dance?
Yep, I am.
Which is why this is tragically funny. I've decided that first things first is to get my butt moving. The best way to keep it moving is to have fun. So I dug out the Wii

(I had 'grounded' myself from it until we got some unpacking/organizing done, which we have)

and put in the new game I picked up on my way home from work:

The result? Fun, yep. And a trainwreck. But a sweaty, fun trainwreck. And one that I will be feeling tomorrow.

Just gotta keep in mind to only play this
when I'm home alone! lol

The Fruit of the Dead, but its good for you!

2011-11-11T13:24:00.000-06:00

Pomegranates... It is fitting that they are in season from October - January (well at least around here, in supermarkets)
According to Greek mythology Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and taken to live in the underworld as his wife. Her mother, Demeter - goddess of the harvest, was so grief stricken that in her mourning all the green, living things stopped growing. Zeus commanded Hades to return Persephone. However the Fates decreed that anyone who ate or drank in the underworld was doomed to eternity there, and Hades had tricked Persephone into eating 6 pomegranate seeds. Because of this Persephone must return for 6 months every year and rule the underworld alongside her husband. While her daughter is in the underworld Demeter goes into mourning and ceases giving fertility to the earth.
That's how it all fits together, pomegranates are a winter fruit and the reason for winter... well at least according to the ancient Greeks ;)
Ok so that's why they are "the fruit of the dead" but why are they good for you?

There are a host of benefits to pomegranates: high in antioxidants (up to 3x that found in red wine & green tea!), combats LDL cholesterol, studies show it helps reduce risk of certain cancers, reduce the inflammation from arthritis, improves heart health & lowers blood pressure. On average a pomegranate has 105 calories.

You can get the benefits of pomegranates by drinking the juice, however if you want to eat the fruit things can get a bit messy... to help keep things a bit cleaner my father-in-law taught me to do the following:
Cut off the crown and score the fruit, but don't cut all the way through!
Place the fruit in water (sink, plastic tub, etc)
Break apart the rind & membranes and discard
Scoop out the arils/seeds and enjoy!

Things to do with those arils... sprinkle them on your oatmeal, add them to cookies, bake them into muffins, add them to salads, use them in a salsa, add them to yogurt. Seriously, there are SO many things you can use them in, just google pomegranate recipes!

Reboot time

2011-11-07T01:23:00.000-06:00

Call me a slacker. Or a procrastinator. Or a 'fall off the wagon'er.
Yeah, its time for me to say it again... I need to get my butt in gear and work on what I'm eating and on working out.
There are a few things lining up that will, hopefully, help things stay on track this time.
I think I finally have Pie on board. He's always been supportive but also a stumbling block. However he is a tad competitive and his brother joined a gym, now he's got it in his head that he needs to work out too and maybe eat a bit better (yay!)
We're still "on vacation" so I have more time to cook. Because of that I hope to have a stock of freezer meals ready for when we go back to work and I'll set some time aside each week to keep adding to that stock once we're back to work. That should help curtail the poor lunch choices. I'll have to get back on track with my suppers at work, I have a few 'go to' meal choices there. The problem is I start to get bored eating the same things over and over. I'll need to take some time to plan better options that I can choose without pissing off the cooks.
Another benefit to the vacation time is that we have FINALLY had time to start getting our house organized, which means (insert drumroll) my treadmill is unburied and in a usable area again!! Or I should say the area around the treadmill has become 'de-boxed' and I can use the treadmill again ;)
Something else is a motivator, it occurred to me that if I want to have any degree of success barrel racing then I need my horses to perform like athletes (duh). And if I expect THEM to be athletes then I need to be an athlete.
So there ya go, I'm rebooting. And if I fall off the path feel free to come boot me.

What the twit said

2011-11-02T20:39:00.000-06:00

Hey guys, I know we're all busy and don't have a bunch of time to post... and some of us haven't had a lot of time to "work on ourselves". So I've added a twitter feed to the sidebar and set it up to show tweets from some health/fitness/beauty/foodie twitter accounts.
If you have any suggestions of accounts to follow let me know :)
Oh and if you tweet you can follow _CLFC on Twitter (someone already had CLFC boo!) or send tweets to us.
The hope is that even if you don't have time to post or read a blog entry that you can pop by and see what The Experts are doling out as advice

October Orthodox Calendar

2011-10-14T04:57:00.003-06:00

OK -- Here is the October Orthodox Fasting calendar -- now that the month is almost half over. This is an easy month -- just Wednesdays and Fridays.

I must confess, I haven't been doing a perfect job of sticking to this, but I think even following it inconsistently is helping.

Though I did have a big setback last week. It was potato chips. They are my downfall. I was down amost five pounds, then got one back.

Been trying to step up the exercise. Yoga seems to work best for me.

Still struggling.....

Time to Get Serious -- The Orthodox Diet

2011-09-06T08:55:00.008-06:00

I believe I have mentioned here before that if I just followed the fasting schedule for my faith, that there would be no weight problem. My husband and I are Serbian (Eastern) Orthodox, which is the same faith practiced by Orthodox people in Greece, Russia, Romania, Ukraine....you get the idea.

We have a LOT of fasting days. The calendar given to us by the church shows those days in red. Every month the days are different, and at Christmas and Easter the fasting period is 40 DAYS.

The rules get complicated (see www.abbamoses.com/fasting), but basically on fasting days you do not eat meat, eggs, dairy, or drink alcohol (I believe you are not supposed to have sex, either!). On the days in red with the notation "Strict Fast," in addition to not having meat, eggs, and dairy you also cannot have fish (except shellfish) and oil. The idea is also to eat small amounts.

So here is the September calendar.....Anyone interested in giving it a try with me?

It is a lousy picture (sorry, I am not good with the camera). The strict fast days are the 11th and the 27th. Otherwise it is every Wednesday and Friday, plus the 11th and 27th.

I really think this will work.....I am going to give it a try.

Feeling Fat and Depressed Because of a Friend

2011-09-05T17:54:00.008-06:00

I am going to try not to make a long story even longer.

I have not posted here in quite a while. But something has happened that compels me to unburden myself. Something that really affected me.....

We went to visit friends this weekend. They used to live near us, but have moved.

My friend, because of some health issues, and determination, has lost a LOT of weight. She has been transformed.

I have been happy for her on one hand; she lost weight and looks great, but on the other, she has serious health issues (which are under control, by the way).

We were out and about, and someone said something about how hot it was outside, and I thought I heard her say something like, "Yes, I am hot." It was said in such a way that I realized she was not talking about the weather. But no one seemed to notice, and the moment passed.

Then later, we were at a festival, and she went to a vendor's booth to ask about something. After leaving the booth, she tells me, "I went up to ask that really cute young guy about the ____. He was really nice to me -- he was nice to me because I am hot. I AM hot. I am over 50 and I am HOT!" She raise her arms above her head and struck a pose. I did not know what to say or do. I just sort of kept walking and mumbled something.....

Now this sent me into a tailspin. I know it is not logical, and I know I am being irrational, but this REALLY messed me up.

My emotional side felt like she was saying to me, "...you are a FAT loser..."

My logical side tells me that she is just thrilled that she has lost weight. She is really enjoying her "new self" and is proud of the fact (deservedly so) that she has attained a slim figure. She has always been a big woman -- NOT obese, just tall and proportionally big. But I feel she has probably always wanted to be smaller, and has had issues because of her weight. So now she is smaller, and is ecstatic. And she has a right to be.

But still......to hear her say that to me.......I just cannot describe the effect it had on me. I immediately became depressed.

Later, we walked by a vendor's booth at the festival where sun dresses were being sold. We were all looking at them. Her husband looked at one and said, "This would look great on XXXX (his wife's name)." She heard him and said, "Yes, that WOULD look great on me."

I wanted to disappear into the pavement.

What is wrong with me???? I should have said to her, "yes, you ARE great looking! I am so happy for you!" or "You have done a FABULOUS job with yourself! Congratulations!" and "You would absolutely look great in that dress, or in anything you want to wear!"

But instead I felt/continue to feel inferior. I feel fat, frumpy, and old.

I was disappointed in her for her vanity, and what I felt to be conceitedness (if that is a word). I felt feelings of friendship slip away because it seemed to me she was "tooting her own horn" which is something I despise in people.

I am totally depressed. I MUST lose 15 pounds.

How many times

2011-08-19T01:52:00.000-06:00

... do I have to go back to Square Frickin One?!

**she asks as if anyone still reads here**

So yeah, I'm at Square 1... with everything. I had my head hidden in the sand and then it hit me... I'm fighting the depression battle again. So my exercise, food, everything has been shoved to the side.
The good news from all this is that I've caught the depression a LOT earlier than the really bad spell I fought through in my early-mid 20's

(crap I hope this doesn't turn into a regular thing to go through every 10 years or so)

And because I recognize it I can work through it, like I said I've done it before. I know I have a lot to be thankful for, I'm very blessed. So if I can start to work on me then I can tackle food & exercise which will in turn help fight back the depression... endorphins and all that.
So yeah, I'm still here. Starting from scratch, again. Anyone else still here?

Day 38

2011-06-11T17:54:00.003-06:00

Well, I've lost 11# in the last 38 days since I started working out. Now, to be fair, I have missed/skipped quite a few workouts since taking Dude to swimming lessons and finishing up the end of school. I plan to fix that this week.

What am I doing differently? I'm NOT counting calories, just eating clean 90-95% of the time. I suspect the calorie counter I used to determine how many calories I need each day is not very accurate. That would also explain why I wasn't losing weight much at the farm in Oregon. Because...

(and listen up)

Regardless of the calories in-calories out theory, there is a point at which your body will think you're about to enter a period of starvation and it will stubbornly hang on to every last scrap of flab it can.

REALLY. Our bodies are designed that way since the dawn of time, to preserve life as long as possible.

Haven't you ever watched The Biggest Loser and wondered why someone didn't lose weight this week, despite their protestations that they did everything right? This is probably the reason behind that lack of loss (unless they were purposely throwing the weigh in by consuming salt water beforehand).

Your body needs fuel in order to burn calories. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it is what it is. No matter how much Jillian may scream in your face.

Bodybuilders already know this. When they're dieting and training up for a physique class, they do not cut their calories by more than about 500 per day from what their basal metabolic need is. In order to make up the rest of the calorie deficit, they workout.

Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories you need to consume per day to keep your body functioning at the weight it is and maintain the status quo. You can find a BMR calculator here.

But wait! Losing pounds is all well and good. But you want to lose fat, right? Then you really, really need to build muscle. Muscle is the powerhouse of the metabolism. It won't make you, as a woman, look bulky. Well, not the average woman. Now, if you're a competitive figure model, that's different.

Building muscle boosts your metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn and the less you'll store. Plus, it keeps your metabolic fires stoked while you sleep. You need muscle in order to diminish your fat cells. If you're not building and using your muscles regularly while losing weight, your body may very well break down your muscle proteins first. Then, you can be a skinny "fat" person. You won't get the sleek definition we all want at heart. You are likely to still be soft and mushy in all the wrong places.

So, what is it that I did differently to lose 8 pounds recently? I ate clean. It was pretty simple. I cut out a lot of the white flour, white sugar and processed foods (including diet foods) I'd been eating. No sugar substitute, no crappy cereal. No "dairy dessert" masquerading around as ice cream. Just plain and simple food. Ok, maybe not so "plain". :-)

I'm also cleaning stalls, moving hay and doing all those normal horse chores again. So, I AM still getting a workout! I'm eating 5-6 "mini" meals a day, balanced in carb and protein ratios. I'm eating lots and lots of fruits and veg. But mostly, I'm consuming them every 2.5-3 hours so that my metabolism doesn't slow down. And I'm measuring out my serving sizes by eyeballing them, which individualizes the serving to me and my needs, not some industry standard set by the FDA.

Here's how:

- A serving of protein equals the size of my palm (if nuts, then a scant handful).

- A serving of starchy carbs equals a single cupped hand (bread, rice, potato, whole grain pasta).

- A serving of vegetables and fruits equals both of my hands cupped together.

- A serving of healthy fats is one to two tablespoons (or a scant handful of unsalted nuts).

It's working. I feel better. My mood is improved (as long as I have some red meat weekly!). And my skin is clearer than it has been in the past 4-5 years. Let's not forget the weight loss too!

Next week, back to Power 90.

How about you? How are you doing? Do you have any questions?

P.S. Did anyone notice that I've lost 8 of those pounds in the past 2 weeks or so?

Another Progress Check!

2011-06-09T04:41:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment and I got to face th scale once more. I've been stressed at work and my eating habits have *ahem* been less than stellar this week so I was kinda worried about what would happen.

Well, looks like the gym is working it's magic and getting my metabolism the jump start it needed cause I dropped 6 more pounds!!!!

That makes 8 so far, I'm super thrilled!

My Curves announced that they would be closing (Pout!) but I've located another just 15 minutes away so I am going to transfer there at the end of the month. I will stick with this, I will !

I was feeling so good about my body that last week my Mom and I went on a shopping spree and I bought some DRESSES. Anyone who knows me personally knows that me and dresses aren't usually a good mix. But I was feeling so good about myself that I just went and did it and I couldn't be more happy!

Here's to making progress!

The Wagon

2011-06-08T00:41:00.000-06:00

I didn't just fall off the dang thing, it circled back and ran right over me.

A year ago I was doing pretty good... eating not bad (not great just not horrible), working out 4-6 days a week on the treadmill, going to Curves regularly.
Then we moved, don't get me wrong it was exactly what I wanted and I wouldn't change things and go back to the city! However the move threw me off completely.
Our move was VERY disorganized. I packed some boxes, some friends packed some boxes, the movers packed some boxes. Only the ones I packed were labelled. Add that my husband had a major shopping problem and was borderline hoarder and yeah it was a frickin mess... I had no idea what was in a box, the movers just put stuff wherever (I won't even START on the movers, omg what a joke). To be truthful I still have a basement FULL of boxes. However Pie is doing much better with his shopping problem, I think moving made him realize just how much stuff he had.
So that had me stressed, there went my eating. Can't get to the treadmill because of all the dang boxes, going to the city for a gym or Curves isn't feasible, there goes most of my exercise.
Bottom line, I need to start eating better... which would be much easier if my husband would stop bringing so much junk into the house (and with his being diabetic he should for himself anyway!)
I need to get my crap together and get moving outside (hey it is summer now!) :) and hopefully get my boxes/unpacking situation sorted out so that when that darn cold weather comes I'll be able to get to my treadmill.
SO if you guys don't hear from me posting over here nag me! Remind me that I need to make myself a priority!
Thanks in advance :)

Things I've Learned

2011-06-02T19:45:00.002-06:00

-or-

Diet Rage and The B*tch Unleashed!

In the last 5 weeks I've learned that I get grumpy if I don't have red meat once a week. I simply become a not-nice person come Week 2 (not that I've ever claimed to be nice). And downright homicidal come Week 3 sans red meat.

It is apparently just how I'm made. Some people do fine without red meat EVER. Some people are fine as Vegetarians. Me? Not so much. I used to be a Vegetarian until I was pregnant with Dude. He changed all that. After his birth, I still ate meat, but usually poultry and only on occasion.

Something has radically changed with me in the past 9 years, 10 months and 16 days. Must have red meat OR ELSE!

No, no, definitely not hormone related. I pay pretty close attention to that.

Anyways, diet rage is very real. Some people become very angry when they're on a diet. Sometimes, it's as simple as lacking something in their diet. Other times, it's the simple act of dieting alone.

Perhaps the problem is simply the word "diet". For me, I'm not dieting. I've made a lifestyle change and am Eating Clean. But, once in a while I get crazy ideas that I don't really want or need red meat in my diet. And if it goes on too long, the B*tch is unleashed and she makes the TOM Wench look like a pussy cat!

How about you? Do you or have you ever suffered from diet rage? Is there something you simply cannot do without as part of your everyday diet?

9.5#

2011-05-30T17:10:00.002-06:00

No, that's not the amount of weight I've lost since my last post or weigh in. Rather, it's the weight of the dumbbells I'm working out with now. Instead of buying a set of 8# weights, we bought a pair of selectable weight dumbbells. We bought them 10 days ago, and since the weight adjustments are 3#, 6#, 9.5#, and 12.5#, I worked out with them for 3 days at 6#. Today, because I wasn't reaching muscle exhaustion, I decided to just try them at 9.5#. Know what? It was just right!

As for my weigh in, the scale hasn't budged in 2 weeks. I'm trying not to stress about it.

My First Curves Measure Day...

2011-05-26T07:31:00.002-06:00

So, some of you may have heard about my measure day at Curves on my other blog but I thought I would share it here as well. It went very well, not crazy exciting like I dropped 20 lbs. or anything like that but just good, solid progress.

I dropped 2 lbs, I lost a quarter inch from my arms and my quads and the best part of all... I lost 2 INCHES from my belly! My belly is a MAJOR issue, 3 weeks prior I had a lady ask me if I pregnant. Now if that isn't a kick in the pants, nothing is. I've been able to tighten my belt an extra hole and my shirts fit way better around my middle section. It feels good to put on a shirt and not see the "tight around the belly" look.

Yesterday at work I had on an outfit that I thought looked stellar. It was flattering, my belly wasn't a distraction and I actually looked taller and leaner than I have in a long, long time! It felt AMAZING! And, all I am doing is modifying my diet slightly and going to the gym 3 days a week!

I'm hoping to keep up the progress!

Day 18

2011-05-19T16:12:00.002-06:00

I meant to blog about this earlier in the week,but as of Day 14, I've lost 4 lbs and 3" of my waist (2.5") and hips (.5")! Bad Pants has lost 8 lbs and a whole pants size! Men! Go figure!

In addition to working out, today I washed the dogs, which is a workout on it's own! On Tuesday, I also cleaned our master bedroom, unpacked 15 boxes and got us more organized. Now that we've decided to stay, I'm making up for the lack of any cleaning/unpacking/doing we've been neglecting. Plus, I'm tired of living out of boxes! (We'll be getting dressers this weekend).

I'm finding that my workouts are getting easier and yet more intense. Often, I'm pushing myself to the point of wanting to throw up. I can do 3 sets of 10 push ups now, instead of the original 3 sets of 5, which were a struggle. I've increased my weights from 3 lbs to 5 lbs and will be increasing again next week. At this rate, I'm hoping that I'll be ready to move onto the next level of Power 90 soon!

I'm going to sit on my laurels, eat my Clif bar and enjoy McLeod's Daughters for a bit. I think I've earned it, don't you?

Go Figure...

2011-05-09T17:37:00.002-06:00

Have I bothered to tell you guys that I have no rear? I mean, it's flat. No, really, it's F.L.A.T. I often have trouble keeping my pants up sort of flat.

Anyways, with all this working out I'm doing, I've unofficially lost 4 lbs this past week. Unofficially I say, because tomorrow is the official weigh in day. But, perhaps the scale will deceive me and say I gained instead of losing. I suppose that it will depend on what time of day I officially weigh in.

With that unofficial weight loss, I also lost 1/2" off my hips. Not my waist, my hips. My rear is melting off of me. I am really, really not pleased by this. I'm puzzled as to how I will keep my pants on if this trend continues. A belt won't help. It will just slide on down too!

So, there you have it. I have no ass and I'm losing my ass. What's a girl to do?

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2011-04-30T17:17:00.004-06:00

When my cat, George, passed away, I admit I sunk into a bit of a funk. I quit eating well. I skipped my vitamins. I quit caring. Or, at least for a little bit. really haven't worked out at all since last August, when it was more of an intense desire to keep myself busy instead of potentially crying over my dog. There's no excuse. Injuries shouldn't have stopped me completely for so long. So, I decided to do something about it. It helps that on my husband's 35th birthday, Bad Pants also decided that he, too, needed to get into shape. Because while round is a shape, it's not the shape either of us want to be in for our 40th.

We bought a scale. Guess what? The Wii board has been lying to me, by about 12 lbs. I knew I'd gained some weight back since we moved to Georgia, but I had no idea how much. Our new scale is calibrated and accurate to within one tenth of a pound. And, when I weighed myself, I was in for a huge shock. I'd gained back all the weight I'd lost when I lived on the farm in Oregon. More, I was within 1.8 lbs of my all time high, which is about 4 months before any of you met me online, before my venture into Wordpress blogland.

I am horrified

I can't even punctuate that sentence I am so shocked and upset with myself. But, no matter. I am back on the wagon.

Our first step was to re-evaluate how we eat and switch it up again. Finally, after 3 years of effort, I have my husband on the same page with me. We are "eating clean", meaning if God didn't make it, we won't eat it. No store bought processed foods allowed. We even took it an additional step and are following Michi's Ladder from the Beach Body website.

Yes, we joined the Beach Body party. We have started Power 90, although, I know my body won't be bikini ready in 90 days. We are hoping to move to P90X once we're done with this one. But, that's beside the point. I digress...

For almost a week now, we just changed our eating habits. We followed the tiers on Michi's Ladder and decided to start off by eating only from the first three tiers. As we adjust, we'll move to just Tiers One and Two, the Pious and Happy tiers. For us, this isn't a "diet", but a lifestyle change.

It works like this:

Find what you normally eat on the ladder and then substitute something similar on the tier above. A near perfect diet would only consist of foods on Tiers One and Two. There are no calorie restrictions, unless you impose them on yourself. You just simply clean up your eating habits and replace what you used to eat with more nutritious foods. That simple.

While it's not always easy, I do have to say that in almost a week, I've already lost a whole pound. Without exercise.

Now, we're eating from Tiers One, Two and Three, because I can't justify throwing out the rest of the Tillamook cheese Bad Pants brought back from Portland and that AKPonyGirl sent me from Alaska. I just can't do it. And, well, a little extra fat in my diet from the cheese might just help me avoid diet rage since I am counting calories a bit. Quite frankly, Tillamook cheese makes me happy and I'm not going to completely deprive myself. Instead, I will measure my servings so I'm not going overboard.

I started Power 90 today too, modifying it for my ankle so I'd have no real impact. And, I plan on continuing this trend, modifying as needed until my foot fully heals for the next 90 days.

Bad Pants and I took our "before" photos today. No, I won't share them because I have a long, long way to go. I am more than a bit embarrassed and ashamed that I'm back at my starting point for weight loss all over again. Let's just say I won't be riding Casey for a while yet because I don't think I should put him under that kind of strain, knowing my balance is poor as well. No horse did anything to deserve lugging my lard butt around.

Hopefully, I'll have a different opinion at the end of 90 days. I'd like to be ready to move to just eating from Tiers One and Two by then, if not before. And with luck, I'll not be suffering two steps back again for this step forward. I am under no delusion that I'll have a "beach body" in 90 days. It will probably take a lot longer than that.

But, I started today. I took that first step forward.

Well, Hello Again.

2011-04-26T07:43:00.002-06:00

I've been pondering this post for a while, I totally dropped off the posting wagon. I could blame a million different things but I think it all boiled down to motivation and my distinct lack of it.

I fell into a bit of a depression and picked up some bad habits. But, now that I have moved I am happy to report I am picking up some new ones!

Take-out became my friend during the latter part of my stay in Oregon. Not cool. My stress levels were up and motivation to craft meals was WAY down.

Two different health issues (one for me, one for the fiance) snapped me out of it. Now, I am working towards less take-out and more home cooked meals. I am also eating salads at dinner. Those who know me personally know this is a MASSIVE step. I absolutely despised salads for YEARS... just the thought of biting into lettuce made dry heave (gross but true!).

Then came the realization that my fatty/carb heavy diet wasn't doing me any favors, I needed something lighter and better for me as a side for my dinner proteins. I gave it more more shot, promised myself to eat salad for one week religiously just to see what would happen.

You know what?

I like it! I don't slather it with dressing or bury it in croutons and bacon bits. A light topping of low fat salad dressing, a few croutons and a sprinkling of low fat cheese and I've got myself a great dinner. Who'd have ever thought??

I've also joined Curves. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it turns out I like it! The workout is simple, yet effective. They say thirty minutes there equates to an hour and a half at a regualr gym. Pretty good deal! Everyone is super supportive. Tomorrow I go back for my second workout, can't wait!

Just Do It

2011-04-11T09:37:00.001-06:00

I want to share a short article and a video attached to the article. It's time we Americans wake up and look at what's in our food.

Please go here. Your health is worth the time and knowledge. Please watch the video too. It's long, but worth it.

Holy Cow.. pantpantpant

2011-03-04T17:15:00.002-06:00

That is what Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog was saying (saying? more like SCREAMING) today as we walked.

Many of you know things have been difficult to say the least at The Asylum, and we are slowly starting to bring things back to a more normal state. However, what many do NOT realize is, NORMAL has been a state of chaos for so long now, we no longer know what any other way of life IS. Seriously. Normal for so long has been living in a literal state of readiness that "letting down" is darn near impossible.

So today, we walked. I dragged the Locust Brothers and Jo out for a 20 minute walk. By the five minute mark, Jo's tongue was almost on the ground and her (rather *fluffy*) sides were heaving. But as long as I kept trucking, Jo did too.

I am pleased to say no, MY (rather *fluffy*) sides were not heaving, nor was I panting and dragging my tongue on the pavement. (Dude... the aftertaste!!!) My hamstrings were abused yesterday by short horses, so THOSE had a few choice words for me, but I cussed back and on we went.

Maybe soon various portions of my anatomy will not be cussing at me, and THAT can be a new state of normal.

~MM

Forever Ago

2011-02-21T12:48:00.002-06:00

Is where I left y'all hanging. Sorry 'bout that!

The old adage "one step forward, two steps back" applies to me. I fell off the wagon Superbowl weekend and am just now climbing back on. Yes, I ate all sorts of things I shouldn't have. My salt intake went up and I swelled up like a blimp, which left me hurting the next day. Funny thing is, my bp is beautiful. I only avoid salt to avoid water retention. And the less I have, the less my body swells at night.

The other interesting thing I noticed is that right before Superbowl weekend, our beautiful, low humidity weather gave way to rain. Before that, I was energetic as all get out! I felt great! I had surplus energy to spare! Rain hit, I hurt. Correlation? I think so! That would explain why my pain levels increased when I moved down from Alaska. So... We will have to see how I feel here this summer!

I'm going to run down a quick list of things that have happened since I last blogged and the resulting consequences.

1. Forgot to take vitamins for 5 days in a row- massive chocolate cravings returned
2. Had soda- the salt I ate beforehand made it taste good= cravings= tummy pain from the carbonation.
3. Went to Olive Garden- low sodium diet made everything taste too salty. I'll stick with a couple bread sticks and salad with dressing on the side from now on.
4. Had a few chips on Superbowl Sunday- lots of swelling in hands and feet the next day.
5. Had alcohol on Valentine's Day- did fine.
6. Made adult coffee the next day- muscle cramps in calves (need to drink lots of water if going to have adult beverages).
7. Had a bowl of icecream every night for a week- upset tummy.

So, what did I learn? EAT BETTER! DRINK MORE WATER! DON'T FALL OFF THE WAGON!

If I cheat a little, it snowballs and I don't feel good. I can't cheat and expect to feel good the next day.

Oh, and store bought bread? Um, no. Can't do it. Something in it that's not wheat IS affecting Dude's behavior. Homemade bread, he's fine. Store bought bread, no way. Maybe it's the dough conditioners. WTH is a dough conditioner anyways? Are they massaging something like hair conditioner into the bread to make it look pretty?

I'm getting back on the wagon. I did my yoga back therapy dvd today. I just did the beginning, short session. Guess what? I feel better in my lower back and sacrum! Now, I'll just have to find the motivation to continue it!

I think I'm going to start incorporating some strength training in a couple times a week. I've heard a lot of Fibro people swear by it. So, I'll give it a try! I have a dinky kettle bell I want to try out anyways.

Back to low sodium for me! I know my body will thank me for it.

What've you guys been up to?

Don't have a cow man

2011-01-31T20:58:00.000-06:00

I have to say it, there's no way I'd be going vegitarian any time soon... I love meat. However you can only eat so much chicken. Fish, while good for you also has some pitfalls. And we all know that red meat isn't something we should go crazy on either.
So what about bison? Its lower in fat than beef, turkey, chicken and fish. It's also higher in protein than beef. And it tastes awesome!
Check out these stats, per 3.5 oz (100 grams):

BISON Fat 2.42 Calories 143 Cholesterol 82

BEEF *choice* Fat 10.15 Calories 210 Cholesterol 86

CHICKEN *skinless* Fat 7.41 Caloires 190 Cholesterol 89

PORK Fat 9.66 Calories 212 Cholesterol 86

VENISON Fat 3.20 Calories 158 Cholesterol 112

SOCKEYE SALMON Fat10.97 Calories 216 Cholesterol 87

OSTRICH Fat 3.00 Calories 140 Cholesterol 83

VEAL Fat 6.94 Calories 176 Cholesterol 106

LAMB Fat 9.64 Calories 200 Cholesterol 87

Bison can be used in place of beef in most recipes, although because there is less fat it tends to cook quicker. In fact you can eat less bison than beef and still feel as satiated. Also because it has 40% more protein you get more edible meat per serving. And don't worry it doesn't taste "gamey"!

From the info I've been able to gather bison are also a much more 'natural' food; raised on grass, not in a feedlot. And you can forget the antibiotics, growth inducing hormones, steroids and genetically modified feed!
Some other interesting bison info... bison meat is non-allergenic. And I kept running into this one, bison are the only mammals that don't contract cancer.

I haven't cooked bison at home myself, yet. But I am planning on trying. There are plenty of on-line tips for cooking, the most repeated being do not overcook! Also recommended is to cook over a low heat for a longer time.
I have had bison before. Marrer of fact I indulge in a bison burger whenever hubby & I go to my favourite local burger place for a 'treat day' (with sweet potato fries... mmm)

Reality - a dish best served cold

2011-01-28T07:21:00.002-06:00

(oh wait, it's supposed to be "Revenge, a dish best served cold..." lol)

Anyhoo...

I haven't posted here in awhile, as I haven't really had much to report since my last post waaaay back on December 3rd! I've kind of been in a holding pattern just to get through Christmas and my latest vacation.

As I was looking through some pictures from my trip - there was one of me that really highlighted my weight - and it really shocked me. Now, it is no big surprise that I need to lose some weight, but seeing myself as others might kinda had me at a loss for words. That photo will be my motivation to start making some changes to my diet, as well as my attitude!

I feel that this coming week is my "new year". I was so busy over the holidays and most of January that I didn't have time to get things organized. Now that I am home and all of the big stuff is done and taken care of, I can get down to business. And that business is taking care of me. Me, myself and I -nothing else to draw my attention away from this all-important task. It might be a bit scary and get a bit messy, but it has to be done.

I like OS's idea of implementing one or two changes a week to help things "stick" a bit more. My first change is bringing my lunch and snacks to work every day, except Fridays. I often go out wtih some friends on Fridays, so that is a free day for lunch. I brought my lunch for 9 days in a row after Xmas and I have lunch for today as well. This one is a big deal for me - it impacts my finances, as well as my diet.

It isn't hard to spend $5 for a coffee/tea/muffin for a snack and $10-15 for lunch everday. That could be almost $100 (or more!) per week!!! Ouch! Not to mention the fact that eating out is rarely healthy - the closest places to me are Subway and McDonalds. Not the greatest options for me on a regular basis.

So, next week is my first full work-week and I will be planning out food, shopping and cooking this weekend to get things in order.

The other change that I've been working on since Christmas is a small one, but important for my health. I have been flossing my teeth every day - I always flossed before, but never consistently, so it's just something that I've worked on adding to my evening routine. I'm sure my gums will thank me for it!

I think next week's change will be something to do with exercise - I need to get rolling on that, as I want to be in good shape to start riding in a couple of months (if it ever warms up around here!) I have a few more changes I want to start implementing, but I'll write about them later on.

I hope everyone is doing well with their own changes!

Changing

2011-01-24T18:41:00.003-06:00

So, I've noticed a change. Actually, it's kinda a big change. My chocolate cravings, which bordered on demonic, have decreased*. I attribute this to my vitamins! According to Dr. Joe M. Elrod, the dude that wrote my fibro book, most chocolate cravings are your body's reaction to not getting enough magnesium. Don't know the logic behind it, but ok! Anyways, he says that approximately 75% of the US doesn't get enough magnesium. Now, that doesn't mean all those people are chocoholics, but probably a goodly percentage of them are. I've been hesitant to say that I am no longer a member of that club as it's not been very long at all. BUT, I can say, my little, and I mean little chocolate craving that hit because, well, it was that time of the month, was very minor compared to usual. A little bit of chocolate (ok, 2 candy bars worth) was all it took to tame that savage beast. In the not so distant past, it would have been more like an entire bag of Hershey's Kisses instead. So, an improvement made! One that should help initiate weight loss too!

I have not reacted to our hay beyond the normal got-scratched-and-felt-a-bit-itchy reaction. So, I have re-started the Valerian. We'll see what happens this week! I took it last night. I woke this morning earlier and feeling more rested than I have been recently.

I have increased my water intake. I fill a 32 oz cup every morning and try very hard to have drank two of them through out the day. This is in ADDITION to whatever else I drink that day. Coffee, smoothie, juice, etc. I don't see any difference really yet. But, maybe I'm not really supposed to? I'll have to go look up WHY I'm supposed to drink that much since the government monkeys say that we need only 64 fl oz of liquids, not specifically water, per day.

I didn't do yoga last week. Instead, I started some PT for my elbow and shoulder. I will start yoga this week and see how my elbow, knee, and ankle do.

I think I've made most of the simplest changes now and I need to go back and re-read the book for the ones that don't stick in my brain.

How about you? Did you make any changes this week?

*For the record, until my pregnancy with Kitty, I did not care much for chocolate. Hmm... I can almost draw a correlation there!

On pins & needles

2011-01-19T02:25:00.000-06:00

I'm back at square one, again. The weight is creeping back on. Partly because I'm making poor food choices and partly because I'm not very good at portion control. You see if I'm eating with someone that eats small portions I tend to eat a smaller portion. If I'm with someone that eats a lot so do I. Unfortunately my hubby is a big guy and eats enough for two people. I have a hard time reminding myself that I do NOT need to eat as much as I do when we eat together.
So I'm planning on making 'freezer meals'. Stuff I can cook in big batches and put in portions to freeze. That way when I'm in a hurry (ummm, pretty much all the time lol) I can take out A portion for me and however many Pie wants for him.

Then there's the fact that I haven't been working out. My treadmill is buried behind a stack of "get to it whenever" boxes. Its been too damn cold out to do much outside. And let's see we're 19 days into the new year and I've ridden ONCE. The yoga I've been planning on doing (on my spiffy, new, purple yoga mat) has been put on hold.
Now why the no yoga and no riding? Because my dang shoulder is FUBAR. About a month ago I fell when I landed on the deck after coming off the roof (I did NOT fall OFF the ROOF, I fell when I landed after CHOOSING to let myself off the roof... there is a difference)
I've been getting chiro done on it regularly, and its helped a lot. The pain is more or less gone, well as 'pain free' as I ever tend to get. However the range of motion is limited and my chiropractor is concerned that we may have to worry about 'frozen shoulder'. Hence the post title... we're moving on to trying acupuncture.

Sooo, let's hope the acupuncture and stretching works. Then I can start the yoga, and saddling my pony! And yes now that I've been able to admit to myself (and y'all!) that I need to eat more consciously I hope to get back on track with that too.

Learning Curve

2011-01-17T12:11:00.006-06:00

So, I did not start yoga this last week. With the ice storm here in Atlanta, I was getting enough of a workout hauling water, shoveling ice off the driveway and practicing my ice walking skills where I couldn't shovel it off. (To illustrate, our house sits on a corner. The driveway comes up one side and wraps around the corner to go out to the other road. Additionally, it leads 100 yards down an incline to the barn (which I don't have use of- *grumble, grumble, gripe*- and down to the pasture gate).

Instead, I continued doing what I was doing with a couple exceptions. I quit the chamomile and valerian combo as I broke out into hives. Now, this could have been from a switch in hay from rounds to squares (TG! I couldn't have gotten a round into the pasture with the ice we had!). The squares are a finer, greener hay. They're different than the Bermuda rounds we had been feeding.

I will be testing myself over this next week to see if it's the hay causing hives or not. I've never taken valerian regularly so that could be it. Or it could be the chamomile. If I don't react to the hay this week (short sleeved, that is), I'll add in chamomile or valerian the next, watching reaction then adding the other. Pumping myself full of allergy meds is counterproductive here.

I did order this yoga dvd and will start using it this week. My understanding is that with daily usage, I should see improvement in my back pain within a month. If you don't follow my blog and already know, I was in a horrific car accident at 19, in which my head shattered the rear windshield of a hatchback (I was a backseat passenger, wearing my seatbelt) and f*ed up my lower back. I was so swollen that when the ER released me, they didn't know if my back was broken. And we never found out. Now, I have issues with my sacrum, which causes the ligaments that wrap from your sacrum, around your hips and go down your legs to become tight and painful. I am hoping, really, really HOPING this dvd will help A LOT.

Anyways, I digress.

For the most part, we eat very little processed food. Part of it is an effort to cut back on the grocery bill, and part is for health. We rarely eat fast food. But the other day, I had the weirdest hankering for Taco Bell. Now, we've been to Taco Bell exactly 3 times since we moved here nearly 7 months ago. It's far away, about 18 miles. We tend to forget it's there, even though we drive by at least once a month on our way to Tractor Supply. In Oregon, TB was our go-to place since there was something for everybody, including my vegetarian stepdaughter.

So, Bad Pants and I ordered our usual. Dude did too. However, Bad Pants and I quickly realized our food tasted like sheet rock. Yeah, yum. Dude didn't, but the pallet of a 9 yr old is circumspect anyways. Spiced sheet rock isn't very appetizing. YUCK! I am now cured from wanting to eat TB any more.

Soda was also an interesting adventure. I don't drink much soda as I found the carbonation leaves my insides hurting. But, I hadn't had soda in about 3 weeks. First I tried this lovely peach soda we like. It tasted salty to me. It had an aftertaste of salt. I attributed it to just having the tail end of a cold and tried a different soda a few days later. Nope. Same issue. Even though it was low in sodium, it tasted like salt and left me an aftertaste like I'd swished with salt water several minutes ago. Mind you, I quit drinking diet a year ago because aspartame isn't good for you. I spent about 3 days trying different sodas. Cans, bottles, fountain, all to the same effect. Salt. Yeah, not what I want.

I had planned on giving up soda this week since it causes me intestinal distress anyways. But now, I'm giving it up because it.just.doesn't.taste.good. If I want to taste salt in my drink, I'll drink salt water, tyvm! It's not just me either. Bad Pants noticed the same thing. So, why don't you try it? Go soda-less for about 3 weeks and then pay attention to the aftertaste of your soda. Generic, brand, the competitor's brand... It was all the same. Salt.

Sleep-wise, I am doing ok. Just ok. Without the valerian, I am apparently back to my wiggle, combine-like self. (It's BAD when you resemble a combine!) Bad Pants reports that a couple nights I whacked the wall behind the bed pretty hard a couple times. I have no memory of this, but it explains why my wrists hurt so badly the next morning. I am also waking up more stiff and sore than the couple weeks I took the valerian regularly. And I feel less rested.

My elbow has skin again. I'm starting to slowly get some strength back. However, there is tendon damage and I am using a tennis elbow brace as needed. Not constant, or I'll over-use my arm, making things worse rather than better.

I've remembered my vitamins most every day, only missing a couple days total so far. No giant burst of energy as the bottle promises, but perhaps my stores aren't built back up yet. Maybe in a few months. And I'm still juicing, when I remember/have time/feel like it. I'm also drinking bottled juice that doesn't have tons of chemicals in it. I've lowered my protein levels, so I'm not struggling to eat more protein. And this seems to be easier on me. I'm not counting the percentage, but I'm not forcing myself to try to get XX number of grams a day either. And lastly, we have decided to only make our own bread now, thereby avoiding most of the preservatives and chemicals we consumed before. And yes, it's white bread. I have a theory on that, but I'll share it another time.

So, yoga this week. Hay test this week. No soda.

That's all for now. Is there something I'm missing or something you guys want me to talk about more specifically?

So, I lied...

2011-01-09T12:49:00.002-06:00

I started more than one thing this past week.

1. My vitamins got here by Wednesday and I couldn't resist starting them immediately. No sudden boost of energy. But I doubt that to be expected if my own vitamin stores are low.

2. I also started the chamomile tea and Valerian capsule bedtime combo. I forgot the tea 3 days and skipped the Valerian 2. I'm not sure my Valerian is helping. I think it's properties became damaged and lost potency when we moved this past summer. So, I will replace this bottle on Friday.

3. I gave up alcohol for a month. Not that I'm a big drinker, but we do have a drink occasionally. Being how my youngest daughter, Doodle, decided to share her cold with the rest of us and I'm currently sick, this seemed as good a time as any. Then, once the month hiatus is up, I can enjoy that bottle of sparkling Pinot in my fridge for Valentine's Day.

4. I played with my juicer. I made juice 5 days out of 7.

I made:
papaya and pineapple
pineapple and mango
straight Gala apple
Gala and Granny Smith mixed
Pear
Tangerine

I like one or two blend apple juices. They taste REAL. And so much better than the bottled stuff at the store! That stuff is made with all the bruised and blemished apples from a region mixed together. So it's not even a consistent mix!

You cannot store fresh juice overnight. It tends to taste bitter the next day, especially when it comes to pineapple juice.

All citrus fruits need to be peeled first or a bitter compound is released from their skin. This is really, really time consuming. It's probably easier to slice the citrus and use a reamer than to peel and run it through the juicer.

Pear juice needs to be drank right away or it starts to become bitter too. So, don't clean your machine first and drink it afterwards. Drink first and clean later!

Apple and pear pulp won't go to waste if you toss it in your soaking beet pulp for your horses. The horses enjoy it!

Things still on the agenda:

1. Give up sugar. Not yet, please! I've cut back though.
2. Exercise.
3. Give up caffeine.
4. Change carb/fat/protein ratios.
5. I'm sure there are more, but I'm not going to go get the book out and look them up right now.

Ok, this next week, I pick #2! My elbow is doing better. I do have tendon damage that will take forever to heal. But, there is no reason I can't start working on regaining some strength back in my hand and arm. So, I plan to start with yoga daily and work more at drinking my chamomile tea. Yoga, tea. Yoga, tea.

I'll check back in with you next week about how I'm faring.

How about you? Did you make any changes this last week? How did you do at sticking to them?

The First Day

2011-01-03T11:08:00.006-06:00

So...

I'm supposed to be only making one change a week, right? My planned first changes have fallen apart and been pushed back. The liquid vitamins won't be here until next week most likely. We've been wait-listed for Kendo. That means I need to pick something else.

So, let's see... Things I'll be doing over this next year...

Drink more water- at least 64 and preferrably 72 oz a day. Juice and other liquids are to not count.

Give up sugar- this one is going to be so hard for me! I need to do it as fully as possible for at least a month. Not quite ready for this one yet.

Eat more whole foods and less food with additives- already mostly doing this, going to fine tune it more.

Get better sleep- this is multi-part and I'll discuss it in depth later. For now, a simple start might be drinking a cup of chamomile tea daily half an hour before bed.

Exercise 6 days a week- I want to start with yoga, but need more healing time from the alien and robot attack that happened before the holidays. I'm sorry. I don't feel like walking until I replace my worn out shoes from last Christmas.

Stretch 7 days a week- um, yeah, see above.

So, I think I'll start with drinking a cup of chamomile tea daily before bed. Chamomile has been used for centuries to help alleviate anxiety and promote sleep. Some studies seem to show a correlation between the flavonoids chrysin and apigenin contributing to these effects. The aroma is often thought to be soothing. Plus, we all know a warm cuppa something is relaxing.

It's a place to start and I'll blog more about sleep when I find some, hopefully soon!

Self Sabotage

2011-01-01T00:17:00.001-06:00

This is something I've been meaning to bring up for awhile. Kept forgetting until tonight at work I overheard some ladies talking and heard an excuse for not losing weight that I thought was sooo lame...
"I know I should lose some weight, but all my rings fit" says the largest of the 3 plump ladies.

It has been my experience that I will sometimes sabotage myself, often subconsciously. Things like I would notice that my very absolute favourite summer time pants were almost too big. A few weeks later, after I'd indulged in a few too many treats and they were fitting fine.

That is why as this new year starts I plan to try to be more conscious of myself. Of my body, my feelings and my mind.

New Beginnings

2010-12-30T20:12:00.012-06:00

**Warning: Long post, go potty and grab snacks**

Last Christmas, my focus was on weight loss and running. I wanted to run my first 5k, had signed up, then couldn't due to injury. I just never quite got back to running again as injury after injury plagued my running career. However, I did make some progress on the weight loss front. :-)

Last year, Santa brought me 2 new pairs of running shoes, an ipod shuffle and workout clothes. Santa was very, very good to me. Well, and my birthday was in there too.

Santa was very good to me again this year. Once again, Santa's focus was on health. I won't list all that he brought me, but I do want to talk about one particular thing I received.

Probably the most useful and amazing gift I receieved this whole holiday/birthday is a book called Reversing Fibromyalgia: The Whole-Health Approach to Overcoming Fibromyalgia Through Nutrition, Exercise, Supplements, and Other Lifestyle Factors by Dr. Joe M. Elrod. A mouthful of a title for a book that is only a mere 286 pages long. But those 286 pages have held the most hope I've had since being diagnosed in 2003 (click here for a bad description and discussion of treatments that really don't work for any Fibro person). In short, the beliefs behind what causes it tend to be injury, extended illness, and long periods of extreme stress. Some theories claim multiple, microscopic muscle tears, others claim a mycoplasmal bacteria (hum... I did have mycoplasmal pneumonia a few years ago), others suspect greater sensitivity to environmental toxins, the body not processing Substance P correctly and not getting to the 4th stage of sleep, where humans manufacture Growth Hormone, which is needed for cell replacement and regeneration. The theories are really complex and I'd be happy to explain them if you'd like.

When I was first diagnosed, there wasn't much information. To be honest, there's still not a lot of information or hope in the medical world today. Like migraines, they simply don't know what actually causes Fibromyalgia. We don't know what causes it, how to treat it, or how to prove it exists- just like migraines. Many doctors still believe that it doesn't exist, telling patients it's "all in their head".

Initially, I didn't accept these answers. I didn't accept that there wasn't a way to make my life better. I tried the drugs that were prescribed, usually with uncommon, debilitating side effects. During this time, allergies I've never had before have cropped up, I've gained weight (about 80 lbs), been lethargic, so foggy I can't string together a sentence, much less a thought, been unable to stand the taste of proteins or slept an inordinate length of time daily. In addition, my inflammation markers are sky-high without an explanation, which, isn't helpful in the slightest.

Because of these effects, I chose to quit pursuing prescription medication of any sort. I've dealt with my pain by taking it easy when necessary and powering through the rest of the time. In short, I've come close to running myself in the ground and have endured prolonged bouts of laziness out of necessity. In the last 2 years, I've mostly found my new homeostasis point. I do ok. But, just "ok" isn't good enough. I shouldn't be settling. And...

Our beloved Stephanie from Being Stephanie reminded me of that when she started her own journey to better health this fall.

This book, Reversing Fibromyalgia, is the first I've ever really experienced a doctor who "gets it". That alone is exciting to me. Finally! Someone who truly understands!

Obviously the title says it all. According to this book, the answer to my problems lie within the realms of sleep, nutrition and exercise. It's all natural, no drugs and completely sensible approach appeals to me.

Some of the things I'll be doing different are:

Gentler forms of exercise- walking, yoga, martial arts and pilates. I'm giving up Zumba and running for a while. Besides, they seem to be injury laden for me right now. (And no, that's not how I ended up with a hole in my elbow. It was aliens, I tell ya! Aliens!)

Regular exercise- I endeavor to work out 6 days a week, for as many minutes as I can handle, potentially 2-3 times a day if I can't do very many minutes at once. And daily stretching! And light strength training. Stretching is key though. I'll have to do it daily.

High potency liquid vitamins- the theory here is that Fibro sufferers have lower stores of important vitamins due to stress and stresses upon the body. So, if I'm chronically low on say, my B-vitamins, I'll have less energy and not utilize iron correctly, leaving me anemic (which I have been for years). Of course, the B-vitamins are just one example.

Continue my quest for less processed food- the theory here is that chemicals and preservatives are causing more stress on my body and that Fibro might be partially caused by years of a eating crappy and not nutritiously.

(Are you seeing a theme here? Less stress on the body!)

Better sleep- meaning a higher quality sleep where I twitch and thrash (and clock my husband) less, achieving a deeper state of REM than I do now. We'll discuss this more in depth later on.

Change my carb to protein ratio again- I'll be aiming for a 70/20/10 ratio, as in 70% high quality carbs, 20% fat and 10-15% protein, with a reduction in red meat consumption. This is different from how I eat now and will be difficult. For the last 5 years, I've been eating more like 50/20/30, of carbs, fats and proteins.

Juicing- I'm going to give it a try. I've read that we absorb vitamins best in food form, or as long as our bodies think it's food. Supposedly we don't absorb much from pills because our bodies don't see it as natural food stuffs. (Wish it didn't recognize chocolate as food stuffs!) I'm prepared to drink a few ounces of gross, disgusting healthful cocktails if it helps me feel better. Wish me luck!

Lose weight- but this is the last of my priorities right now. Hopefully, the changes I'm making will facilitate this.

According to Dr. Elrod, you should only make one change a week, maximum. Otherwise, human beings aren't likely to stick with a change. One change a week is reasonable! I can handle that!

What I need from you, dear friends, is to hold me accountable. I need someone to remind me to make one change a week and stick with it. I also need someone to help me track how I'm doing. So, please feel free to nag at me. (Be warned though, nagging makes me cranky). Sometimes it's easy for me to lose sight of how far I've come or accurately judge whether or not something seems to be working for me, because I'm with me day in and day out. Having someone ask helps me monitor myself and the changes I'll be making.

So, this next week, the first change I'll be making is with vitamins. I'll be ordering them tomorrow and starting them as soon as they arrive, on Monday or Tuesday. Also, while not intended as a second change, Dude, Bad Pants and I will be starting Kendo classes once a week on Monday nights. Yes, we will be beating each other with bamboo sticks, wearing bamboo armor. (It's a martial art and on the approved exercise list for starting out on this new path).

Now, the length of time is supposed to take up to a year for a real, more permanent change and return to health to happen.

2011 is the year I'm going to take back my life!

Any questions?

Keeping active in the winter

2010-12-11T16:11:00.001-06:00

pics in this post were found with Google images

Now that we have our little home in the country with the ponies right in the backyard I won't have to spend most of my "free" time in the winter driving back and forth from the boarding barn to take extra care of Cessa.

Don't get me wrong, it does still take a lot of time to take care of her. Its worth it though :)

Add to that the loads of outdoor space (not quite 80 acres) I am hoping to find something 'outdoorsy' that I can do this winter, at least when its not too darn cold!

Two things came immediately to mind, well three but snowmobiling isn't exactly 'exercise' lol.

1: cross country skiing

2: snowshoeing

Here's the thing though, I don't really know much about either of them. I guess I could do some research (hello Google! lol) and ask at the shops for things such as fitting of equipment.
But what I'm more concerned with is can I do it? For example: Will either of these hurt my bum knee? Or aggravate my bad back/hips/shoulder?
While neither of them are as expensive as riding the equipment isn't exactly cheap enough to toss in the storage shed if it doesn't work out...
So, does anyone out there have any input?

PS- does anyone else have this weird little square "photo video deleted" box showing up on this blog?

Put Down the Pumpkin Bread, and Back Away SLOWLY!

2010-12-10T12:36:00.002-06:00

Or maybe I should say, "Run Bullseye, run like the wind! Get the Hell away from that stuff!!"

I've turned into Betty Freaking Crocker lately. Baking, cooking, puttering... a real Suzie D@mn Homemaker. Oh, Cub, Jo and I are still walking. (Not the Wrecking Crew. He says his legs are too tired. But yet he is out on the jumpoline, jumping for all he is worth...... am I a bad Mom for leaving him behind to avoid listening to him whine and complain the whole 40 minutes we are out there?)

Anyways- back on track with pumpkin bread. Lawsy me. I believe it is a borderline addiction about now. Bucket of coffee in the morning, slab of pumpkin bread for breakfast, vitamins, and I'm good to go. The siren song of the bread does not quiet itself at all though. Oh no. I battle it through the entirety of the day. In the kitchen, which is right next to my computer, it sings to me... calling my name.... "Ohhhh Mrrrssss MoooommmmmmmM!!!!!!!! Here I aaaaammmmm!!! EEEEAAAATTTTT MMMMEEEEEEEEEE..." Noisy bugger.

I know I know... simplest answer? Just don't MAKE any more of it. But how can I NOT? Short of having Dear Husband tie my hands down, or do all the grocery shopping, never letting me set foot in a store that sells the ingredients ever again, (and none of THOSE are likely to happen,) I'm stuck in a rut. A rut filled with nutty, raisiny goodness.

Enough about my food woes though.

We have been walking. Even though Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog strongly expresses her opinions/ disfavor of the idea, we HAVE been walking. Roughly 40 minutes (~ 2 miles-ish), three to six days a week, Cub, Jo and I are out there pounding the pavement. Jo did better today. We only had to call her one time to keep up.

I gotta tell you guys this:

Yesterday afternoon, I sat on the couch to pull on my sneakers. Jo of course, hopped right up there with me, and threw her big bucket head in my lap, turning her impressive belly skyward. Of course, I gave in and was rubbing her belly, telling her what a good girl she was, how cute she was, and whatever else kind of drivel that happened to come to mind.... She had a HUGE smile on her face, her tail was going about 900 mph... until I said, "Hey Jo! Lets go for a WALK!"

The tail stopped in mid wag. The smile vanished in less than a heartbeat, and she rolled an eye up to look at me. The message was clear- My Dog. My DOG. Told Me. To Foxtrot OFF.

She did. My Dog cussed me out and told me in NO uncertain terms to Foxtrot THAT, she was staying on the COUCH.

Yeah.

She walked anyways, under protest.

How are you guys holding up out there? Ready for Christmas and New Years? (I am NOT. Hard to get Christmas-y when it is 60* out ya know?)

Just Beat

2010-12-05T21:48:00.002-06:00

Today, I spent 4 hours cleaning the run-in and pasture, rolling a round out to the run-in (50 yrds) and helping my husband put up hot wire so Ms. Thing (aka Molly) would not be pushing on my fence any more.

Do you know how many calories 4 hours of farm chores burns? 2123 calories. 2123! And that's doing everything on foot and by hand. I.Am.Beat.

After accomplishing all this, I started thinking a fun Biggest Loser challenge might be having the contestants roll 500# rounds around on a farm. Or on sand, if they need more of a challenge. I dealt with a patch of sucking mud higher than my ankles. Yuck!

And how about they spend a day doing chores we do every day. Like clean stalls. Hey! Let's see a contestant clean 30 stalls in 2 hours like I used to have to! That would be awesome!

Or, why not have them put up miles of fencing? Why not have them do something useful, that teaches them a skill and maybe gives them new appreciation for farmers and ranchers? I think that would be cool! What do you think?

So...um... hi...! waves

2010-12-03T06:50:00.003-06:00

Well, I thought I'd better post something here. I'm basically back at zero (or maybe -5 or something!) with my healthy living challenges.

Bummer.

I was smokin' along January - April, May wasn't bad... But June? June is where it all went to hell. In a handbasket.

I've been dealing with some problems with my legs over the past year or so - I'm sure I've mentioned it in the past. I didn't feel too bad last winter, but by June of last year, that changed. When the flare-up hit me in June, I got really tired and my legs hurt like the devil. Honestly, it was all I could do to get to work and get home again. Once at home I would rest for a couple of hours and then a couple of times/week, I would haul my sorry ass out to the barn to try and ride. In August, I was finally diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and I started some medication to help it.

Anyway, that is over now and I have been feeling more like my old self since about October. I've kept meaning to start back into my exercise routine, but it just hasn't happened yet. Don't know why. I'm also not going to beat myself up about - I just need to get back on the "horse", so to speak and start over.

It's going to hurt and I'm not going to like it, but that is what I have to do.

So, hope to be posting more here over the next few weeks! Hope everyone is doing well!

Yes! We Have MOTION!

2010-11-28T09:26:00.002-06:00

I am thoroughly pleased to say, that Friday and Saturday, close to three miles of ground were covered. Yeah man we're back WALKING again.

Gotta tell a bit of a story about my youngest, known lovingly as Wrecking Crew. Friday the boys were my motivation to walk. Cub was insistent we get the job done, and told me in no uncertain terms to Cowgirl UP.

Wrecking Crew however....

As we were gearing up in our socks and sneakers, my sweet little Wrecker sat on the couch next to me and sighed heavily. He said, "Mom, I don't want to walk. My legs get tired." I told him we would only go a little ways, and that it would really help me out if he came with us. "OK Mom. I'll go for a little bit."

Well out we go. And I watched my sweet Wrecking Crew. That child.... that child probably RAN four miles to my walking one and a half. Up, down, back and forth, over and over again... the child never stopped.

If we could bottle that energy...!!

Taking Sundays off from walking. Monday we pick back up with getting slowly back to the pathetic shuffle jog routine too. We'll keep you posted on how things go!

Do We See A Chance of WALKING?

2010-11-23T08:10:00.002-06:00

Maybe.. just maybe...

I feel like I am tempting Fate once again by daring to hope that I can start walking again. It's been so long that we'll be starting over from scratch, but at least we will be STARTING. That's something, right?

Of course, with hunting season in full swing now, we dare not go on our trail through the woods. And since there are brandy new NO TRESPASSING signs plastered all up and down the entrance and exit to the trail, and all along the roadway, I'm assuming that we don't need to be on the trail anyways.

Back to walking the road. Which frankly is boring as all get out.

I'm hoping I can maybe catch the person who owns the land the trail is on, and ask permission (sweetly) if we can maybe continue walking on it. We'll see....

Cross your fingers though. Getting back to walking this week would be Freaking Lovely.

Did You Hear the SCRREEEEEEEEECH-ing to a Halt?

2010-11-06T07:52:00.002-06:00

Well, things did just that around these parts. Again.

Why?

Well, I could make all kinds of excuses I'm sure, but the main one is... illness.

We were doing great before the trip to CO. Even with a diagnosis of walking pneumonia, the kids, Jo and I were still out there churning out the miles. Only I walked instead of doing the pathetic jog/ shuffle. We were doing GREAT.

The first few days back from CO, I had to re-adjust to the altitude here at sea- level. (I never would have thought it would be THAT much of an adjustment. Trust me- going from OPEN sinuses to packed ones once again sucked MOOSE knuckle.)

We managed two mornings of walking- about a mile each morning. We just were having a bad time getting back into the swing of things.

Then it happened. The kids got what we call Creeping Crud (aka: SickernHell). Sleep went out the window, housework came to a halt, everything stopped as tending two coughing, hacking, feverish, crabby, crying, demanding children took over. I managed to get two nights of OK sleep only to wake up yesterday with the Creeping Crud myself.

Know what y'all? I'm real damn tired of being sick and tired.

FORTUNATELY, I don't appear to have the Creeping Crud as bad as the children did, so I'm hoping in the next couple of days to get back to walking. And even doing some more of that pathetic shuffle/ jog thing too.

That's it from this corner of the world as far as fitness goes. I have not lost any pounds (I don't think anyways- still don't own a scale, and currently I live in sweat pants,) and I still have a teeny tiny bit of sanity left. It's all good, right?

Now, if you'll excuse me, the apple crisp in the oven is getting ready to ding....

Day Three Update

2010-10-08T14:47:00.002-06:00

I don't know who is complaining louder right now about the "new exercise routine"-- my poor old aching body or Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog.

See, where ever I go, Jo goes. For the first fifteen minutes of each trip, Jo is happy, bounding along, smile firmly on her sweet face, tail going the whole time as she paces along beside me and Wrecking Crew (because the Cub is usually WAY out in front. He runs ahead, and runs back to check on me. Then he runs out, and runs back. Lather, rinse, repeat. For the entire 30 to 40 minutes we are out there.)

Back to Jo.

By about the twenty minute mark, I have to nudge her with my knee now and again to keep her moving.

At the last lap, she is pooped. Today, we added in a little extra distance walking from the end of the trail to the gate at the end of our road. (1/5th mile there and back to the house.) Jo quit by the drive way and looked at me. I swear she was saying, "Really Mom? Are you out of your MIND?" We hit the house and she dives into the water bucket and passes out on the floor for at least an hour.

Poor old Jo.
I know how she feels. Except I don't dare collapse on the floor for an hour- I'd never get UP again. And there is no telling what the Locust Brothers would do to me while I was down either.

Overall though, I'm pleased. Tired, a bit sore, determined more than ever, wondering at what is left of my sanity, but pleased fits the bill.

Day One was documented on here- roughly a mile with some attempt at a slow jog/ shuffle interspersed with walking.

Day Two- yesterday- was walking only, and I added in an extra set of walking the trail out and back again. Cub ran it. Just about the entire time. Again. (Oh to have that child's energy.)

Day Three- today- was good. We walked to warm up, and I jog/ shuffled a good bit. In fact, I jogged/ shuffled about five times the distance of day one. Now lest that sound overly "impressive", the jog/ shuffle added up to about 1/2 the distance of the trail. (Maybe 1/4 mile-ish.)

Tomorrow I'm planning a walk day. We'll see though, how I feel in the morning how long and the speed.

Oh my Kingdom for a horse about now.... this making my own wind through my hair? SUCKS. But as long as it gets me where I'd like to be, I'll Cowgirl Up and get it done.

Now I had BETTER not be the only one out here suffering! Spill it y'all- what have you been doing?

I'm still here!!

2010-10-07T13:06:00.000-06:00

Things have been a bit crazy but should *knock on wood* settle down. Which is good because I still have to unpack and organize my house AND the barn. Seriously, only what really needed unpacked in both is what's unpacked.
But there are things in my favour for getting both done. First of all our house in the city sold (it was a bit late getting on the market). Most of the outside stuff at our new home in the country is done - other than the chores which always need done... but I'm not complaining! :)

My plan for now is to finish settling in and try to ride as much as I can while the weather is nice. Also to do yoga at the local bar when I can.
Yes you read that right. That's how "small town" our town is. There is yoga in the basement of the bar Monday and Wednesday nights. I work Wednesday but Monday I usually have off. However it is Pie's only day off too so we'll see how that works out.

This winter I'm thinking of either trying my hand at cross country skiing or snowshoeing. Goodness knows I have room to try either. Have any of you guys done either one? Any tips or advice?

And once things are unpacked and sorted enough I hope to have my treadmill unburied and get back to using it on a regular basis.

OH! And right next door is a small indoor arena so hopefully this winter I'll get in some decent riding!!

The Plan

2010-10-06T16:28:00.002-06:00

Dear Horse Peeps,

So, in my comment to Mrs. Mom, I did say I'd post about my riding plan here.

I have rode exactly 3 times in the last 3 years, after an 11 year hiatus. During those 11 years, I have sustained more than a couple head injuries. One left me with about 3 years of vertigo and a fear of heights since then. The vertigo is gone. I now fear not having control and falling.

Additonally, as some of you know, I've had Casey now for 2 years. During this time, he's been gaining weight and rehabbed and retrained. Then, he came home to the mud, muck and slippery slope of the farm. Then we moved here and he, being black, melted in the heat of Georgia.

It has cooled off. I have debated turning the heat on these last 3 mornings.

It is time to ride.

I know what I need to get back on the horse. Really, as someone who taught her friends to ride in high school and eldest daughter in the last couple years, I KNOW what is needed. DOING it has been more of an obstacle.

I NEED someone I trust to be holding the lunge line with Casey. I NEED that safety net to feel safe enough to mount my ginormous horse. Ok, at 16hh and 1300#, he feels ginormous. To me.

So far, here in Georgia, the only person I know who knows squat about horses and is close is my husband, Bad Pants. (Mrs. Mom is about 5 hours away, so that doesn't work). Unfortunately, Bad Pants is up to his proverbial eyeballs in work, often not escaping his home office until 8-9 pm on average. So, that will not work.

I no longer have a truck since the tow bar failed before leaving town on our move here. No truck means no trailer. Buying a new truck is in the future, but not quite today.

So... (dramatic pause)

I posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a trainer to come to me. They are, after all, elusive creatures here in Georgia, preferring that everyone come to them. Fortunately, I found someone! So, I will be paying more to have someone come to me, to work with me with MY horse. Of course, this plan also includes a few lessons at their place on their lesson horse. With luck, I will have my first confidence building lesson no later than October 17th!

In the mean time, I am walk/jogging (doing c25k training again) with the hopes of running my first 5k this coming spring, along with Pilates to strenthen my core for riding and upper body strength training since I'm no longer moving 7-8 three string bales of hay every 2 weeks.

This is The Plan.

Run. Ride. Pilates. Strength Train.

So, if my lard @ss can do this, and I wear a larger pants size than MM, so can you!

Love,

OS

P.S. Did you know horseback riding burns 833 calories per hour? Amazing!

Fit At 40?

2010-10-06T13:51:00.002-06:00

First, let's take a look at what all has gone on in The Asylum since August.

The horse left.
It got hottern hellfire in the Southland.
And I blew out my back in a BIG way.
Courtesy of my back injury, I stopped trimming most of my clients.

Which lead to.....

A really un-fit Mrs Mom.

We aren't talking "soft" here kids. We're talking, "OMG you are a COW" un-fit.

Knock on wood, my back has been OK.
The weather has cooled to wonderful temperatures, and it is not as humid.
I am slowly (painfully, because of my LACK of fitness,) attempting to trim a couple of horses here and there.
Still no horse, which was a GREAT motivator to get out and move more, clean paddock, ride- you know- all the fun horse stuff.

And today?
Today I got sick of being a Fat Cow.

Today, I grabbed the bull (no- wait-- I shook the fat rolls) by the horns and said, "DO SOMETHING!"

The kids and I jumped for ten minutes. Why stop? Well, for one, it felt like my legs were going ot fall slam off, and for two about the fifth time one of them wound up under my feet I figured it would be better to stop jumping ON them and find something else to do.

So. We pulled on our sneakers and hit the road. I was thinking we'd walk up and down the pavement as many times as I could, when Cub said, "Hey Mom! I know- let's walk on Papa's walking trail!"

Turns out it was an EXCELLENT idea. I'd guess what we covered was roughly 3/4 mile there, plus 1/4 on pavement. AND-- I walked it AND jogged some.

You know what? I have not jogged or run since I was a kid, before I discovered that A) it was a lot easier to lope a horse to where I wanted to be, and B) a flat out gallop was WAY more fun AND way faster.

No horse to gallop on. If I want to feel the wind in my hair, it is going to have to be wind I create.

There ya have it y'all. I have a shape-- and it is "round".
I
Hate
It.

I have a desire- to not keel over when chasing after the kids.

Will I survive it? Only time will tell. But I am pleased at my recovery time thus far. I'm counting on my muscle memory to help get my old ass back into shape too.

Please muscles, don't have CRS now........

I want to say a heart felt thank you to a special friend- she is the biggest impulsion for me to get up and moving again, and I bet she didn't even know it. Oregon Sunshine, thank you. You've no idea what you've started- now let's keep it going together, girl!! xoxo

My 10% Life

2010-08-19T15:22:00.002-06:00

I really should write this elsewhere first. I'm afraid I'm going to lose it by accident. However, the words are flowing so the impulse to write outweighs the time it will take to open a new Word doc to begin.

So far on my weight loss journey, I've lost more than 10% of my total body weight. They say that losing just 10% of your body weight can have positive effects on your blood pressure. I would have no idea as I have had beautiful blood pressure my whole life, with the exception of my pregnancies (pre-eclampsia). Let's check that off anyways, shall we?

x Better Blood Pressure

Also, losing 10% of your body weight lowers your cholesterol. Another thing I've never had an issue with.

x Lower Cholesterol

Reducing your weight by 10% also reduces your risk for Type 2 Diabetes. I've always been hypoglycemic, so this has always been a bit of a worry as I aged. So, good for me for doing something!

x reduced Type 2 Diabetes risk

With the 10% loss, you gain energy. Yep! Well, my feet don't hurt all the time. I don't sleep nearly as much and I get more done in a day.

x More Energy

Losing 10% can give you self-confidence and motivation. Yes! I feel better about myself!

x Increase in Self-Confidence

Losing 10% also gives you a reality check as to what it will take to continue your weight loss and lose more weight. Why yes, yes it does! Losing 10% wasn't easy. There were a lot of aches and pains, not to mention frustration with myself that I couldn't do MORE or wimped out earlier than I thought I should. It was hard work! I'm not going to lie about it nor will I beat myself up over it. So, reality check... Check!

x Reality Check

This is where the list I found on the internet ended. However, my life's 10 percents haven't stopped there.

In the last 6 months I've changed how my family eats. We eat 90% healthy and about 10% junk now. Ok, maybe including the move and settling in, it's been more like 85/15 for the last 2 months. But we're settled now and back to our 90/10 routine.

x Healthier eating

I've also taken to making my kids try new foods. They only need to eat 3 bites of the new food, which usually turns out to be 10% of a serving. Also, I apply the same rule to healthy foods they don't like (tomatoes, brussel sprouts, etc). In the process, they have learned that they really do like some of the foods they thought were icky before. (Adults try and retry things they don't like too!) This in turn, not only begins to eliminate picky eating, but increases vitamins and mineral consumption in foods that perhaps they weren't getting enough of before.

x Increased nutrient consumption, less picky eating.

When I'm tired and running low on energy during a workout, I tell myself that I can do just one more, run one fence post farther, give just a tiny bit more. And I do. I feel good about doing it too.

x Give 110%

So, in recap, by improving my life and lifestyle by just 10%, I have better blood pressure, lowered my cholesterol, reduced my risk for type 2 diabetes, gained energy, gained confidence, eat healthier, gained more nutrients from my food, learned how to give 110% and have given myself a reality check to boot!

I'm trying to better my life by 10% at a time. How about you?

Here!

2010-07-23T22:16:00.002-06:00

Wow! It's really, really quiet around here! What've y'all been up to since I started the moving process?

Well, obviously I moved. To Georgia, in fact. I bought a pair of shorts a few days before we moved. They fit perfectly. I wore them on the second day of our cross country trip. I wore them again about a week after we got here. The third time I wore them, they were loose. Now, they practically fall off. I can pull them off over my hips without unbuttoning them.

Then the other day, my husband commented that my rear is shrinking. My comment "Damn! I was hoping this muffin top was starting to go!" I have a FLAT rear. There really isn't much back there to hang a waistband on. So losing my rear before the muffin top is not my idea of cool. However...

This means I got new pants! I am fully one size smaller than when we left Oregon. What have I been doing different?

Well, I haven't been doing anything different except maybe not so many farm chores since we live on a teeny-tiny spread now. Wha?? How's this work??

Simple! It's quite possible that I underestimated how many calories I was burning every day with chores and not eating enough. Yep! I said NOT EATING ENOUGH. Because, if you don't eat enough calories, your body believes your in starvation mode and will start conserving calories instead of burning them.

So, why don't y'all scrutinize your calories in vs calories out and see if you need to revamp your own plan? Are you getting enough calories? Too many? Is there room for more food in your eating plan? Perhaps you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Ch...Ch...Ch..CHANGES...

2010-05-29T12:56:00.003-06:00

Busy busy week this past week. Lots of client horses. Hot. Humid. Swimming in the lake, loads of activity.

To end the week, on our way to our last client, I had (of course) to hit a rest stop. (Public potties normally gross me out, but my teeth were floating by this time.)

The potty (was CLEAN!) had a full length mirror on the back of the door. (Which was also CLEAN!) My first thought:
groan
"Good grief! Who the heck wants to view themselves while perched on the loo?"

I think there was an advantage though. For the first time in a long time, I was able to get a full view- from the soles of my boots to the top of my hat.

What I saw didn't make me happy, but it did not leave me deep in the depths of despair, either.

Things.
Are.
Changing.

There is more "shape"- and not just ROUND, either.
There is less of the "jiggly" stuff.
Not by a lot, but the changes were there enough for me to notice.

Huh. Whatdoyaknowboutthat?

NOW-- the REST of yas-- OS, I know you are busy moving, as is CDN. Laura, you've been busting behiney with work and moving Rusty. (YAY on the job stuff too girl!!) But we haven't heard from SquirrelGurl, Chelsi, or Regina lately. Ladies-- it isn't about who-lost-how-much--- it's way more than that. So let us know y'all are OK, OK?

You Know You've Gone Too Long When....

2010-05-26T18:55:00.002-06:00

While watching television... a commercial comes on interrupting valuable program time to lead you down the path of temptation....

In my case, it was a SONIC commercial.

Showing deep, rich, warm, chocolate sauce slowly oozing down over ice cream.

Y'all, portions of my upper anatomy just about rubbed holes in my t-shirt.

The past three weeks have just totally SUCKED diet-wise. For real. For a wide variety of reasons, getting TO the store to replenish fresh foods has been ... well, frankly getting that done has been nigh on impossible. We've resorted to lots of pasta type meals, and bad carbs. Know what? Dear Husband (whose sugar levels are plumb perfect,) and I both feel like CRAP. Wrecking Crew is happy- that child could eat mac and cheese five times a day, eight days a week. The rest of us? Not so much.

The next chance we will have to hit the store will be sometime on Friday afternoon, on our way home from clients. (Always a fun thing to do. Go trim about ten horses and then go to WallyWorld to stock up on edibles. One of these days, I expect to see a story and pictures about us on PeopleOfWalMart.com....)

At any rate--- lesson learned. Do not allow excuses to throw your "good" diet to the wolves. You'll pay for it in mood, overall feeling like crap, no energy, and cravings for crunchy, crispy veggies and fruits that will wake you in the middle of the night. (OK-- so I'm hankering after a steak and taters too, but I'm ALWAYS craving that!)

Eat well everyone. I know *I'm* looking forward to it!!

Oh- side note. Our Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog is an easy keeper. She is older now, and watching her weight as well has been a priority, as she does tend to get umm.. chunky. Lately, she has gone from "chunky" to well, BLUBBERY. I was quite worried about her, until we figured out WHY she gained so much.

No, the Locust Brothers weren't feeding her THEIR food. They were just giving her about three times her NORMAL amount at each feeding. Jo being a polite pup cleaned her plate so she would not get into trouble. (That's her story, and she is sticking to it.)

Wish MY issue was as easy to resolve as Jo's!

Gotta make some changes

2010-05-19T01:48:00.003-06:00

As some of you may know I'm going to be moving. Hubby & I have found our place in the country, finally. :D
Now we're not going to be out in the middle of nowhere, after all we need to be fairly close to work... especially with our abnormal hours! But I am pretty sure that I will be quitting Curves.
I just don't think it will work trying to fit it in. After all one of the reasons that I'm grateful we're moving is that I will no longer be making that hour (round trip) drive to take care of my horses. Why replace that with the gym?
My new game plan (to start after we move and get settled in) is to focus on diet. Eat more fresh food, more home-cooked food, more healthy food. Should be easier to implement once we move. Part of the reason I eat so much "convenience food" right now is just that, convenience. After running around trying to fit in time to get to and from the horses, time to take care of/ride them, time to do errands and get back in time to get ready for work I'm stuck grabbing something fast for lunch.
So I'm planning on keeping the house stocked with healthier choices. And if I have to tie a horse up, run to the house to start lunch and then go back to untack and put away the waiting horse... well that's at least do-able! Also there aren't any fast food places to stop by and grab something quick ;)
I know that I'll be doing more riding, and more just plain old moving around, once we're at the new place. And when I work at my riding and spend time at it I tend to lose some inches.
I also plan on focusing on my treadmill again once we're moved. Also hubby has a Bowflex (an older model) and if I can just figure out how to use it, and manage to not hurt myself, I think that would be a good option to work out 3x a week. Oh, and I think I've got the perfect spot in the new house for those two machines :)
I'm kinda sad about leaving Curves. When I do manage to fit it in its a good workout. I love that I can track the changes and the camaraderie at the location I go to. I like that I feel accountable there. Hopefully even though I won't be there my friend Nic still will go. That way she can give me that 'accountability factor' even though I'll be working out at home and she'll be at the gym.

I Like To Move It, Move It!! ... MOVE IT!!!!

2010-05-09T11:44:00.002-06:00

For those of you who are parents, and have seen "Madagascar", you'll be familiar with King Jullian singing that particular ditty. Which always with out fail gets me and the Locust Brothers up and dancing around the living room, looking like we have totally lost our last marble.

But, it works. It gets us MOVING. The beat, turned up loud enough, blocks out those self-sabotaging thoughts of, "But darn, I'm TIRED"... or any other whiney pathetic excuse I might try to come up with.

It wasn't King Jullian singing this morning that got me motivated. Nope. It was Nazareth. Not a very "nice" song to many, I'll refrain from spouting off the title here. But let's just say it fit. The past two months have shown me what I had forgotten.

I had forgotten that I am indeed, very capable of DOING things. Be it trimming horses, heavy work in the yard, fixing fence, chasing the kids, jumping on the jumpoline, I. Can. Do. It.

So, with Nazareth blasting from the house in the background, Sonny Bunz got pulled from the paddock. His feet got trimmed. He was a putz, so he spent some time on the Patience Tree while I got a drink and changed clothes.

Every time those self- doubts tried to creep back up, I'd give myself a mental b*tch slap, and MOVE.

Once I changed clothes, Sonny got groomed.
Then he got ground work.
And then we rode.
And today we loped.
Bareback.
Up and down the yard.
We.
LOPED.

My legs now feel like rubber.
My belly muscles are really reminding me they are there.

And my cheeks hurt from the big sh*t eating grin that has not left my face in umm... what four hours now? hehe

I'll allow some sitting around now, since not only is the horse cared for, the house tidied up, the children fed (again), and the dishes done (again.) And tomorrow? Well, you can bet that in the morning Sonny and I will be back out there, loping across the yard again.

I hate *HATE* exercise. So, instead of "exercise", I am using my horse to get me into shape.

Let's see how this works.....

And what are the rest of y'all up to???? Still too quiet out here!!

I Did It!

2010-04-27T18:22:00.000-06:00

Hay! I did it! I can move 107 lbs. hay bales around on my own by lifting them, not rolling, flipping or sliding them! The new hay is in 107 lbs bales, the old hay was in 130 lbs bales. The last couple loads of the old hay seemed light to me. They were easier to move. But, they weren’t lighter, I’m just stronger! Yay Me! I rock!

Now, to work on this whole 5k business...

Y'all Will Be Proud Of Me

2010-04-22T14:03:00.002-06:00

I resisted. Really, truly, honestly- resisted.

It was in the frozen foods section at the mega mart. I needed more frozen fruits for smoothies.... You know where this is going, right? Yeah. The frozen fruit is directly across from the Ice Cream.

Heavenly, chocolate filled, nutted up, smooth, silky, sweet, cold, bits of frozen Heaven. It called my name... my eyes glazed over... Wrecking Crew was with me, and his wisdom of the moment was, "Mommy! ICE CREEEAAAAAMMMMMMMMM!" (No help there huh?)

When a wee bit of drool began to seep from the corner of my mouth, I decided it was time to move on--- with a quickness!

What stopped me from indulging in my fantasy? Ok- other than the fact that I'd get locked up for stripping down nekkid and ROLLING in the ice cream right there in the store.

It was Dear Husband.

The thought of him, at home, sugar levels going insane, pain levels insane, and knowing how much he loves ice cream.

I could not- just NOT NOT NOT- bring it into the house and eat it in front of him. My husband saved me from myself, with out even being there. Lawsy I love that man.

On the up side - I did indulge in a tiny package of Peanut M&M's. It wasn't ice cream by a long shot, but... it worked. Kinda.

Another upside?
My in waist band holster (for when I wish to carry concealed,) fit into my jeans much more comfortably today. Seems going back to work under horses and making my muffin top scream is wicked good for me!

OK- the REST of you have been much tooooo quiet. What's the "skinny"? What's going on?? Fill us in!!

Keepin' on keepin' on

2010-04-20T10:33:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted an update in a while, so I thought I'd better get to it!

Things are going well here, for the most part. The last couple of months have been kinda stressful, with lots going on. I normally struggle with emotional eating (especially when faced with lots of stress) but I have been making a huge effort to really think before I eat.

I've been doing a decent job of bringing healthy meals and snacks to work, so that helps alot. I can resist the vending machine and the cafeteria, if I'm well prepared. It is little victories like this that help me along. I can feel positive momentum building, albeit slowly... :-) My biceps and quads are also starting to firm up from all of my workouts with my trainer. I just need to shed the layer of protective fat on top so I can display those muscles!

I would really like to buy a pair of beige breeches for summer riding - since the only ones I have are black! I don't want to cook while I'm out riding the trails and fields this summer. I need to get a few pounds off before I buy more breeches, but that is kind of what I am shooting for right now. I sometimes wear jeans to ride in, but I find that they bunch up and are kind of uncomfortable...

What do you guys ride in in the summer? Jeans? Breeches? Any other types of riding attire that is cool and comfortable?

Not sure how it happened

2010-04-16T01:39:00.002-06:00

I've been seriously neglecting my diet lately.
Diet as in the amount and types of foods I intake, not diet as in a particular food plan.
Anyhow, I've been eating whatever I want, whenever I want - even if it is something that I'm trying to limit. The stress of trying to get the house in order and working on the banking end of things (see here if you need to be caught up) made me totally ignore my 'healthy & mindful eating' goals.
And because I'm spending all my spare time cleaning/decluttering the house, running to appointments and the other little details that go along with trying to sell/buy property I have had VERY little pony time (which is making me cranky) and have had NO time to go to Curves (which surprisingly is also making me cranky lol) So it came as a complete and utter shock to me that I have lost 4 whole pounds!
Not sure how it happened but I'll take it! :)

Yummy Treat

2010-04-12T11:13:00.002-06:00

I totally forgot to fill you in on our latest "indulgence". No, it does not replace chocolate by any means, (in FACT right before I posted this, Cub shared not one, but TWO chocolate covered donuts with me... *bliss*) but this has been a great way to get some fruits into my youngest "fruit", the Wrecking Crew. Cub is no problem- he'll eat anything as long as it does not try to eat him first. Wrecker? Fagedaboutdit. Slap together one of these frozen babies though, and he sucks it down and looks for more.

Simple to make, (which is good because I have no brain power left lately to try anything complicated,) and good for us too, these smoothies rock.

All I do is a half dozen or so ice cubes, frozen sugar free fruits, a nanner, some yogurt, a splash of milk, and BAM- hit pulse and instant happy child. (Happy Mommy too for that matter.)

Anyone else have some simple summery treats to share?

Guilt and Disappointment

2010-04-11T15:51:00.004-06:00

Today, I was supposed to run 5k at the Portland Race for the Roses. I've been training for months now. And while I've had set backs of illness and injury, I was really, really, really looking forward to it!

But... I didn't get to go run today. You see, Bad Pants had a work crisis. Lots of things were going wrong. First, his office scheduled an off-site hoorah get together sort of thing for this week, starting today. (Did I mention that today is also the day Doodle flies in for her very short spring break visitation and we haven't seen her in 7 months AND his vacation got cancelled at the last minute for this?) So, because BP had to be in downtown Portland and not at the finish line with the kids, I had to scratch the race. Instead, I kept my 10 yr old nephew overnight so his mom, whom I challenged to run with me, could run since BP was supposed to have him as well while we raced.

No, instead, I stayed home. BP went and did some big presentation that his former boss (who quit suddenly last week causing chaos) was supposed to do. Instead, I decided to be a good wife and support my husband and his quest to climb up the corporate ladder. Because, you see, more money equals more stuff to do here at the farm- which means more exercise or a personal trainer and riding lessons. Or something like that.

I've been disappointed since Monday. I've not made any effort to work out since last week. More, I haven't make any effort to run since hearing that the doc didn't want my partner to run due to her newness to exercise and recently achieving control over her diabetes in the past 6 weeks. I mean, if I wasn't running, what was the purpose of training? I'd have to walk the whole blasted thing to be a good person and stay with my teammate because I challenged her. That wasn't how this was supposed to go! So, instead, I let myself go.

After the race this morning, the visiting-racing fam brought down my race packet and freebie stuff I would have gotten if I had ran today. The cute hat says "Finisher 2010". Only I'm not a finisher. I'm not even a starter. I'm disappointed that I didn't run. I'm feeling guilty that I've let everything slide since I knew I wouldn't be running. I didn't do anything to earn the shirt or the hat or heck, even the chap stick. Yet, here I am with a ton of really awesome stuff I'd be so proud to have had I actually raced, walked, skipped, stumbled, something. I didn't do it.

I don't deserve it.

This one's for you, Mrs. Mom!

2010-04-11T07:46:00.002-06:00

To help our wonderful Mrs. Mom not feel so bad about her picture from the other day, I thought I'd post a particularly bad one of me and Rusty. I think the angle is a bit funny, but either way, it is not a flattering shot of me.

Even though I've actually lost a bit of weight recently, there is still a ways to go.

So, this afternoon will be spent looking at cookbooks and meal plans for ideas for healthy food throughout the week. Also, I will be planning out my exercise for the week. It will be written in my calendar and it will be done.

This extra weight? It's gotta go. It's been dragging me down for a while now.

Are you guys in with me?

Ugh- I Saw A Picture of Me Today

2010-04-09T11:20:00.003-06:00

And I look like a COW. (NO, it is NOT just because of the bull on the back of my shirt either.)

This time of back recuperation? Has been Very Bad.

Very Bad Indeed.

Time to get my arse back in gear, and to borrow a phrase from GunDiva-
LOOSE IT, BITCH!

Headed out for a ride now then. Can't loose it, if I don't MOVE it!!!

Question

2010-04-04T09:54:00.002-06:00

What size saddle do ya'll ride in? I'm thinking of getting an all purpose saddle for Casey, but I have no idea what size I should get for myself. Also, since we're talking about sizing, how do I determine if he needs a standard or a wide tree? I realize a wider tree would probably be more comfortable for my rear as I prefer Hereford saddles to Circle Y, but I don't know a whole lot about English saddles as I've never had to buy one before. In this case, trying it on him before hand may not be an option as I may buy a saddle at a tack sale.

So, let's talk saddle sizing. What's most comfortable for you? Why?

C-R-A-V-I-N-G-S

2010-03-29T10:16:00.002-06:00

Y'all, I will be SO glad to see the back of March it's not even funny. They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. There is no way I can possibly express how much that has applied not to the weather here-- but to emotions. March made one hell of an entrance with Dear Husband's illness, and the continuing emotional roller coaster has just wrung me out.

Our dietary changes have been good. Turns out, we were already on the right track, and doing well with our eating. A few small changes, and BAM--- we're doing darn good.

But.

Late at night, after the kids are tucked in bed.....

It.
Hits.

Cravings.

Bad. Cravings.

I can hear ghosts of foods past, calling my name, beckoning me to get in the truck and go get some... and tooooo EEEAAATTTTT THEEEMMMMMM....

Thus far I have resisted the urges to indulge. By the time morning rolls around, it's all good. I no longer want the potato chips, the dip, the nukable popcorn smothered in butter... I no longer have the urge to thinly slice taters and make home made tater chips.

I know-- I know-- some indulgence is good. Honestly though, I really think it is the result of stress/ emotional overload. If indulgence is in order, it does not seem overly healthy mentally to dive in and pork out on junk food, when it is being used purely for *comfort*. If I'm going to eat some chips, I want to be able to control the setting (and feelings,) and keep it a small amount, so that there is not the OVER-indulgence G-U-I-L-T hanging over my head the next morning.

So. How do YOU deal with those nasty little cravings that pop up at truly horrible times?

Trying to find balance

2010-03-21T18:09:00.002-06:00

Really that's what its all about right? Balance your food and exercise for health. Balance work and family for sanity. Balance balance balance.
Right now I'm feeling overwhelmed. Actually as of today I am OVERoverwhelmed.
Spring is officially here and it seems like everything that was just gradually approaching is getting in my face. There is the regular spring spruce up to be done outside. Some maintenance things for the house that was put off last fall. De-junking/decluttering the house. Still looking for that 'just right' piece of land and hopefully selling our house. Trying to find time to exercise both myself and the horses (that clinic is fast approaching!) Dealing with issues at work (we had a cook leave, probably THE hardest position to replace) trying to find time to spend with Pie and friends. Trying to groom the dogs and cats (yikes the spring shed lol).
So forgive me if I don't post a whole lot in the next little while, I am here and reading but I'm also trying to do a million and one other things too! :)

Good News - Bad News

2010-03-20T15:12:00.002-06:00

First, the Good News -- I have lost 13 pounds since the end of January!! I have done it the hard way -- watching my portions, being careful about what I eat, and not snacking. I decided that enough was enough. I saw a number on the scale that scared the hell out of me. Then I realized that I was adjusting to each 5-10 pound increment...when was it going to stop? So it was time to get serious. I do not like to exercise, so I had to do it with food.
My portions for meals were cut down to the size of food about as big as my hand, or my fist (depending on what type of food it was). Also, NO SNACKING between meals (difficult, especially if you are addicted to salty, cheezy snacks that are in every vending machine). Lunch became a salad instead of a sandwich and chips. I gave up bread for the most part -- if I want something sandwich like, I put it on rice cakes (pretty tasty, actually).
Every day on my lunch break I take a 1/2 hour walk. I did this in all kinds of weather, except pouring rain. Drizzle rain was OK, as long as an umbrella could handle it. No matter how cold or snowy, I took the walk.

Now the bad news -- I have been wearing my class ring since 1973. With the weight loss, it started getting loose. On Thursday, I realized it was not on my finger. I cannot find it anyplace!! I am afraid I lost it on my lunch-time walk...I am just sick over it.

An observation -- The numbers on the scale that terrified me on the way up are now causing me joy on the way down......

I Had A Blog Post...

2010-03-20T11:37:00.001-06:00

And then I lost it! Why is it that I always, always, always come up with the best blogs when I'm where I can't write anything down, like say, in the shower? Or jogging in the vineyard? Or when my hands are full of dirty horse? And I never remember them later!

That seems to be the story of my life. Instead of witty and fun, you get something that feels forced and dry. Or half-formed thoughts that don't get elaborated on. Or, nothing at all! Which leads to where I've been lately.

I had two great moments of inspiration in the last couple weeks. A very, very late birthday present from my husband arrived. I got a lovely Nike+ Sportband that I've been lusting after for some time. I love that I can get accurate info about my workouts because the readout on the treadmill hasn't worked since we moved here. AND, I get accurate info on my vineyard walks and runs! Plus, it allows me to be part of a larger community. (Which is great because our farm is kind of isolating here- most of my socializing is done via telephone or online).

Last Sunday, a woman walked into the last ten minutes of Mass in her running gear. I thought it odd until she turned around and I noticed she had on a shirt and her number for the St. Paddy's Day run in Portland. How awesome is that? She brought her sweaty self to Mass, something I wouldn't have dared to do. Because of that, she inspired me to "get with the program".

Back in December, I challenged a friend of mine to run a 5k with me in Portland's Race for the Roses in April. This friend was diagnosed with Diabetes in October. She also weighs about the same as I too. I thought challenging her would encourage her to work towards better health. And it has. Unfortunately, her doctor recently vetoed her running this 5k, wanting her to take it easier with her health and exercise for a while longer yet. So, since my friend is driving all the way to Portland from north of Seattle on my behalf, I will now be walking the 5k with her, not running as I originally planned. I feel obligated and disappointed, which have been un-motivating for me. However...

There will be another 5k here in town at one of the local elementary schools in May! It costs a lot, lot less to enter than most of the big races and I'll be supporting a local school! So it's not Dude's school, but that's ok. It's still 5k and for a good cause, right? Right!

Started a flat of seeds at the beginning of the month. When I took the cover off the tray to give the seedlings more room, one of the cats helped himself to all my Roma Tomato seedlings. I really wanted to cry. But, there is time to start some more. (Cat was locked in a car in 100+ degree temperatures before he was rescued and we adopted him. The rescue had to give him an ice bath and shave him down in order to save his life- hence the brain damage. We compare his wee little brain to having the consistency of homemade whipped cream- rather soft and fluffy and insubstantial. And yes, we love this cat tremendously.)

My mom came to visit earlier this week and I sent her home with 5, count 'em, 5 pounds of mohair! That was just from the two goats I've managed to shear. I still have 3 goats to go. My body, however, cringes at the thought! Ugh! I am still sore from the first two! But, it needs to be done by the end of the month. So, somebody hold me accountable, please! I've got 11 days to get these 3 finished.

Other than Dude bringing home the "Creeping Crud" again and SHARING it with me, not much else going on at the moment!

So, what's new with all of you?

Well Now...

2010-03-16T13:55:00.003-06:00

I'm pleased to report the following:

A) Dear Husband! His sugar levels are either IN the target zone, or one to two points above it, every time he tests, for the past two days. Phew. He is feeling better, stronger, and the minor diet changes have been easy for him to stick to so far. That is a load off our shoulders for sure.

and

B) The Birthday Cake. It's gone. No, I did not eat all of it, but since it was for Wrecking Crew's birthday, I could not just toss it out either. I did break down and eat a tiny slice of it... and it was soooo good. I felt justified when scraping the thick, goopey, coma inducing icing off the top and sides. WHY bakeries feel the need to load on almost an inch of that nasty crap is beyond me. Now, had they carefully spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting, from say Betty Crocker, over top-- that might have been a different story. Yeah, I probably would have landed face first in that sucker, and wallowed around in it some. But.... it didn't. Amen.

My Muffin Top Hates Me.

Why? Because in the past five days, I have trimmed 10 horses, ridden a few times, walked chasing after the kids, and done heavy cleaning. My abs feel like they've had to *work*. For SHAME! However, this activity has taken a toll once again on my back. I trimmed my horse this morning, and rode him after. We were at a walk, trying to make a nice rounded left hand turn, and I felt/ heard something in my lower back on the left side go "crunch/ grind". No real PAIN per say, but not overly HAPPY either. We managed one trot side, and I had to call it quits- my left leg was calling me every name under the sun BUT a Child Of God.

That's OK though- I know what it is, how to deal with it, and fully expect to be back to work and riding again in a very short amount of time. Which is good, as there are roughly 10 horses on the book for Thursday, three for Friday, and two for Sunday.

Fun never ends around here.....

OK- The REST of y'all are TOO QUIET. What's up?

W-I-L-L P-O-W-E-R....

2010-03-14T10:27:00.002-06:00

I Has None.

Not.
A.
Drop.

Why? Because today is Wrecking Crew's 4th Birthday. And Granny got him a cake. (Why did she get him a cake? Because home made cakes are not "as special" as the ones from the store.)

It's a chocolate cake. Choc-o-late. Chocklitchoklitchoklitchoklit!!!!! CAKE!!!

I hear it... sitting in the kitchen.... whispering those little words..... "Eat. Me."

Those words... calling my name.... "Mrrrrssssssss Mooooooooommmmmmm........... EEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAT MMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! I'm CHOOOOOOCOLAAAAATEEEEE.... Your FAAAVVOOOOOORRRRRIIITTTEEEEEEEEEEE...................."

Oh no. We can't just get a SMALL cake for the four year old. Noooo, we have to get a big sheet cake. For a household that has just this week been thrown headfirst into Diabetes. With a Mom who needs to loose some weight. With kids who DON'T need to get hooked on junk foods.....

*sigh*

Top it all off with a huge scoop of stress, and my self control has gone into hiding. Oh- wait- did I say scoop? SCOOP? Yeah... let's try fricken DUMP TRUCK LOAD of stress.

And where does that leave us?

Listening to the siren song of the fricken cake, that's where.

I think I'm going to go take a cold shower now......

The colours of the rainbow and an update

2010-03-14T07:45:00.003-06:00

I thought it was high time I posted an update here! Things are trucking along and March is just blowing by. We have had unseasonal spring like weather (which totally rocks!) and it has been motivating me to get out and get things done.

Now that I am feeling back to 100% after my stupid sinus infection, I'm back to full speed with my workouts. I see the trainer 2x a week, then work out on my own 2-3x per week. I'm really starting to feel that working out is becoming a habit and I feel bad if I don't go and do something.

I don't know if I've lost much weight yet - I'm not bothering to step on the scale. What I do know is that I have about 3 pairs of pants that I can't wear because they fall off while still zipped up. That is a good enough indicator for me. I also had to go out and buy 2 new pairs in a smaller size. I am solidly in the smaller size too, so that is a nice feeling. :-)

Food still continues to be a struggle, but the more I work out and see a bit of progress, it helps motivate me to make better choices. I found this great reference article on my hard drive last week when cleaning up some files - thought you guys would find it interesting. It's not rocket science, but a good reminder to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables...I can't find the source of this article, but I think it was from the Washington Post a couple of years ago...

******

Being green just doesn't cut it. Red alone isn't enough. Even purple, orange, blue and white fall short by themselves.

When it comes to choosing fruit and vegetables, the latest recommendations emphasize eating a rainbow of colors every day to get some of the more than 9,000 health-promoting plant-based substances called phytochemicals and reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. "The more colors, the better," says Lorelei DiSogra, director of the 5-A-Day for Better Health program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) clinical study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute also found that elevated blood pressure can be reduced in part by eating a diet rich in varied fruit and vegetables (as well as low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in low-fat dairy products).

For that reason, the latest suggestion for meeting The Lean Plate Club's own five-a-day goal is to seek at least five different colors daily of fruits and vegetables, including blue/purple, red, pink, orange, white and green. (For activity, keep doing 30 minutes a day of lifestyle and other exercises, and pat yourself on the back for meeting federal guidelines. See the box below for more information.)

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines advise consuming a minimum of five servings a day of fruit and vegetables -- something that just 30 percent of Americans achieve, according to a 1996 federal survey. (A serving, by the way, is one medium-sized piece of fruit; 1/2 cup raw, cooked, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables; six ounces of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice; 1/2 cup cut-up fruit; 1/2 cup cooked or canned beans or peas; one cup raw, leafy vegetables or 1/4 cup of dried fruit.)

But those five servings are just a starting point. "Women should strive to eat at least seven servings a day of fruits and vegetables," DiSogra says. "Men should strive for nine." And color matters. The NCI also advises eating at least one serving every day of a red or pink fruit or vegetable, such as tomatoes, red onions, kidney beans, red cabbage, sweet cherries, strawberries, red raspberries, red apples, watermelon or pink grapefruit.

These foods are good sources of two key substances: lycopene and anthocyanins. Lycopene helps cut the risk of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. (And the latest evidence suggests that cooking boosts lycopene levels, making tomato sauce, paste and soup excellent sources.) Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that appear to help control blood pressure and protect against diabetes-related circulatory problems, among other functions.

But those are just two reasons to go for variety. While a few of the other 9,000 phytochemicals -- lutein, for example -- are already cropping up in supplements, research shows that food is still the best source of these nutrients. In fact, studies involving phytochemical supplements have often shown them to have little benefit, as a team of scientists reported in December in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Here's the latest lowdown from the NCI on the color-coded health-promoting benefits of fruit and vegetables. (More information, including recipes, is available at www.5aday.gov):

Blue/Purple. Blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, purple grapes and black currants are rich sources of anthocyanins. Prunes, eggplant, raisins and plums are among the foods highest in phenolics. Both of these phytochemicals are antioxidants that help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease, and may even help slow some of the effects of aging, according to the NCI.

Green. Spinach, broccoli, green peas, kiwi, lettuce, kale, broccoli, turnip, collard and mustard greens are among the best sources of lutein, an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, watercress, arugula, turnips, cabbage, bok choy and Swiss chard are rich sources of indoles, which help reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer. The NCI notes that one recent study found that men who ate vegetables rich in indoles three times or more a week had 42 percent less prostate cancer than men who ate fewer than three servings per week.

Orange. Mangoes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, peaches, carrots, apricots, butternut squash and pumpkin (yes, pumpkin pie counts) are high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that is converted by the body to vitamin A and helps reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease, maintains eyesight and helps boost the immune system against infections, including colds and flu. Oranges, tangerines, peaches, pears, yellow pepper, grapefruit, clementines, nectarines, pineapple, lemons, apricots, papaya and yellow raisins are rich in bioflavonoids, which work with vitamin C to help reduce the risk of cancer, strengthen bones and teeth, heal wounds, keep skin healthy and lower the risk of heart attacks, the NCI reports.

White. Garlic, onions, leeks and chives (okay, they're a little green, too) are rich sources of allicin, which helps control blood pressure and cholesterol and seems to increase the body's ability to fight infection. (None of these, of course, are substitutes for medical care; in other words, don't think that you can just load up on leeks and control your high blood pressure.) "People don't often think that garlic or onions add to their servings of fruit and vegetables," Di Sogra says. "But every little bit adds up."

Calling My Fellow Bloggers...

2010-03-10T16:52:00.003-06:00

I need some information, education, support... all of it.

Dear Husband found out a lot--- A. L-O-T.--- of information today. His recent hospitalization left us reeling, but what happened today was a real shake up, wake up call.

He got up this morning, feeling OK aside from a headache. Started feeling.. not so good, and checked his blood sugar.

And it was 377.

*gasp*

Off to the Doctor he went, and we have found out that he is now diabetic.

So. Time to really get some education on diabetes, and get ourselves a whole lot healthier. Suggestions anyone, so we can avoid me having yet another mini coronary?

Confession Is Good For The Soul

2010-03-05T11:19:00.002-06:00

That's what I hear anyways. It appears it is time to give it The Test. I have to confess, and say I am sorry, ladies.

Sounds weird, right? Why "sorry"?

Sorry because I allowed excuses to swallow up any enthusiasm, drive, and forward momentum I had. I'm sorry, because we write this blog to help keep each other motivated, to ask for help in times of trouble, and to support each other on our journey's into better health.

I didn't ask for that help, and I know I have not given any support of late either. I let the "routine"- the daily chores of cooking, dishes, laundry, paddock picking, vacuuming up copious amounts of dog hair, and more picking up and cleaning after the kids suck me into an abyss. I let the monsoon season drown out any spark that was there.

Doubt filled my brain. Was my tendency towards being a "hermit" really a good idea? But hell, GOING anywhere around here lately has ended badly. If Dear Husband is not available to do the driving and go with me, I'd just as soon stay put. So "put" we were.

Even my horse blog suffered.

I gave in and allowed the excuses to win. Me- who does NOT accept or offer excuses for bad behavior in my sons, my horses, or anything else--- I allowed the rains, the gray skies, the insanity of the children to sink in and make excuses. It was too wet. Too cold. Too muddy. Or I flat out just did not want to.

Today, it dawned on me what had happened. I owned up to it, and am ready to start over again. The sun is strong, we have things- OTHER things aside from the routine- to do. Sick or not (I am sick-- no excuse this time. My nose is the color of Rudolph's right now) we are DOING. I am RIDING, or at least getting Sonny out.

So there are two steps. Owning up to it, and getting off my fat ass to DO something about it.

Ladies, please accept my humble apologies, and know that from here on in, I'll do better by us all.

At least I didn't gain any weight back.... I lost condition, as did my horse, but condition we can get back easily. At least there is not extra weight to get rid of- again.

Right then-- rock on girls. Let's go KICK SOME ASS!

Passing Along...

2010-03-04T20:18:00.002-06:00

The award Mrs. Mom gave me last week!

Because, well, ya'll deserve it!

Enjoy!

'Bout time for an update...

2010-02-21T09:45:00.001-06:00

Not much going on around these parts...

I have been doing really well with my workouts, for the most part. I had been exercising 4x/week and really enjoying it! I was feeling stronger by the week and more and more motivated to work harder and make some real progress. My quads were firming up and I was noticing a bit of a change in my stomach area - sort of around my ribs. The scale wasn't really moving, but things were looking good.

Up until Wednesday afternoon, that is...

I felt a cold coming on, so I left work early to come home and rest. I can usually get over the worst of a chest cold in a day or two, so I was expecting to be back on track by the weekend at the latest.

No such luck, as it happens. I was hit with a really bad chest cold and now my sinuses are all messed up. I have a cough that scares small children (as evidenced last night with my nephews) and causes people in the grocery store to quickly turn their carts to avoid my germs... lol

I am still in rough shape this morning, not having slept much over the past few days. I'm taking all kinds of combos of Tylenol and various other products, hoping to alleviate some of the pain. I have a headache - literally - all of my head hurts, even my teeth from my friggin' sinuses. If there isn't any improvement by tomorrow, I will have to suck it up and go to the doctor...

I'm a bit bummed by the whole thing, since I was doing so well. That's just life for you, I guess!

Here's to a better week next week!

Name Change... We're Now "The Asylum"

2010-02-19T13:13:00.004-06:00

Anyone want to trade places for a couple days? 'Cause I really, really could use some time to nap and be quiet.

The weather has broken, at least for now, and we've been spending time outside cleaning up the winter's messes. The ground is starting to dry up some (YAY!) and I've been able to get the horse out as well now and again too.

Portion control has been easy. Which frankly is somewhat scary, since I dearly love to eat. It is getting easier to stop eating when I reach that "comfortable" level. Fruits and veggies have been high on my priority list as well.

However, SLEEP has not. It just hasn't happened. Not much of it anyways. I said to Dear Husband the other night, "The Children NEEEED to stop getting up at six in the morning." He agreed. The children apparently did too, as the next morning they were up at five.

I'm not the type of person who can function well with out decent amounts of rest. I manage to get BY, but actually be productive? Yeah- not so much. The routine work gets done, but adding in that little extra- like walks? Not happenin'. Add in that one week ago today, about three miles west of here, three illegal immigrants attacked and raped a woman, in the middle of the day, in her yard, takes some of the fun out of a nice walk with the kids. Yes, those of you who know me, know I *am* armed. But it seems like a much more intelligent choice not to tempt fate by leaving home and more defense methods. (They did catch the bastards. However, we have been warned by policemen that there is a growing population of trouble makers in that area. Which is all too close to home.)

Away from the gloom and doom, aside from the exhaustion things are going well weight wise. My Christmas Jeans still continue to loosen bit by bit, and even I can see changes in my belly. (Dear Husband has been telling me it is happening, I just have not been able to SEE it before now.)

The funny part? Any other time I have lost weight, my bra has fit better too. The boobages seem to come under greater control, and (Thankfully) shrink a bit too. This time? The only shrinking is in my DREAMS. There is weight coming off my back- my shirts all fit better. But the boobages are Out Of Control.

That brings me to wonder....

Am I actually loosing, or is the weight just.. moving? Defying gravity even?

hmmm.....

Oh the things we ponder when we are sleep deprived!!

It's Awfully Quiet Here!

2010-02-18T10:58:00.003-06:00

Halloooo! (echo, echo, echo). Where is everybody? What's new in your lives? How are you doing with the whole lifestyle change and fitness routine? How did you do on Valentine's Day? What DID you do on Valentine's Day? Anybody?

Well, I have not been so good about working out. I've let my c25k training slide completely since losing the custody battle. And it sucks. And I've been beating myself up for it. I've been so hard on myself that I haven't been accepting my own excuses. "Flu? Flu-Schmoo! Ya shoulda got out there and run!"

Really, I know that running while sick isn't a good idea. In fact, working out while ill requires a self-check. Is it above the shoulders or below? If it's above, like a head cold, you're good to go. If it's below the shoulders, like a chest cold, wait until you feel better or you could set back your recovery greatly if not make the problem worse. Good, sound advice. No sense in prolonging your illness. But, I digress...

I've found that I'm not comfortable working out when Kitty is here. Do I fear her judgement? Why should I fear judgement from a snotty teenager? I dunno. But, it's something to ponder. I just don't work out when she is here. Unfortunately, she was here for a long weekend. So, I slacked.

Now that she's gone again, I'm still not running. The weather has been unseasonably warm and incredibly beautiful. Spring is here in the PNW. That means I've got a ton of stuff to do here on the farm. All that winter clean up stuff to get ready for spring. Crap! I thought I was still going to have a month or so to do all manner of stuff around here before spring. But, I was wrong.

I've been spending 4-6 hours a day doing chores outside in the sunshine. While it's great for the calorie burn, it's not getting me running for my upcoming race in April. By the time I walk home with Dude, I'm so exhausted the thought of running for 30 minutes leaves me worn out. This isn't getting me any closer to my goal of being able to run an entire 5k!

Finding balance for me is tricky. I tend to throw myself into whatever I'm doing whole-heartedly until I reach my goal. That was fine when it was pouring so hard outside you could grab a bar of soap and take a shower. But now? The farm calls to me. I've got a chance to get a garden in early. I still need to start my seeds. Honey and Beatrice are due to kid any time. The branches and trees that were knocked down during the winter storms need to be cleaned up. I've got roses to move out of a seriously overgrown flower bed so they can thrive somewhere instead of being choked out by weeds. And then, I need to re-dig that flower bed as it's been neglected for who-knows-how -ong before we moved here 6 months ago. And then there are spring bulbs to mark that will have to be dug and moved. The water trough needs scrubbing, driveway needs to be re-graveled, the mud pit needs to be seeded so I don't fall when I'm chasing escapee chickens, fencing needs to be re-done as soon as the ground dries enough to hold a post. The list just goes on and on!

So, how do you find balance?

Oh, and by the way, my Valentine's Day was great! We bought a used bowflex and joined the Y (if only I had the time and energy to use the membership now). I got my hair cut, took off about a foot of hair and easily lost a pound from that alone. We also saw "When In Rome" and so the husband and I are pondering moving to Italy and buying a villa when the kids are grown. Nice dream, huh?

Eggplant Pizzas

2010-02-07T10:55:00.003-06:00

For Laura and whomever else wants to give it a try

Ingredients

1 large italian eggplant, peeled
1 egg, beaten with a tbsp of water
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup tomato or pizza sauce
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese or italian cheese blend

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Peel a large eggplant and cut into long "steaks" or "circles".

Dip the eggplant slices into the beaten egg then the breadcrumbs making sure it is lightly covered.

Place on a non-stick cookie sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Check that the eggplants are "fork-tender", then spoon tomato sauce on them and top with the cheese. I usually leave a few without sauce.

Bake again until the cheese has melted.

These are great as a meal, or as a filling for a hero, or sliced over a salad. I especially like them without the sauce and cheese on top of a tomato bruchetta salad.

Enjoy!

Number of Servings: 3

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user VIOLETTE1.

Number of Servings: 3

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 182.8
Total Fat: 5.4 g
Cholesterol: 76.0 mg
Sodium: 570.7 mg
Total Carbs: 25.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.1 g
Protein: 9.1 g

Does anyone else have any eggplant recipes to share? I've got eggplant seeds that came with an order I placed. I have never eaten eggplant, so I don't know whether I should plant them or not.

I should've also mentioned

2010-02-06T02:18:00.002-06:00

Well if you haven't read the "Scribbles" post you should head there first. I was trying to get it done before I went to work and left a few things unsaid. The comments kinda reminded me of that.

Now that your back I'll continue....

For a long time I "poo poo'd" the idea of a food journal. I really didn't see the whole point. After all I was paying attention to what I was eating. But its funny, when you start actually writing down what you eat you pay a lot more notice.
For example I had thought I was eating fairly healthy, most days. Then I noticed that I don't eat nearly enough fruit. And since journaling I have seen that I am doing better with the veggies though.
It also brought to my attention things like how often Pie and I have pizza for lunch. Or Chinese food. Seems like it was happening way more often than I liked to remember! lol

I've also used the food diary to take note of things like those killer headaches. With the food diary I was able to discover that caffeine and chocolate were not triggers. (Thank you God!)
As for the water/headache connection. Well part of the reason I started to actually choose water as a beverage was that I had read that dehydration is a big trigger for headaches. I am usually well within the recommended daily water intake and have not noticed headaches being any better/worse/frequent in relation to my water.

And one last thing. In what may be a weird way the food diary also makes me proud. Its nice to go back a few pages and have it right there in my face how often I've worked out. Or how my food choices or servings* have improved. It kinda gives me some feedback. So for now I'm going to keep doing it.

*I had mentioned that I wasn't being super strict with my food diary. No counting calories or serving sizes. What I meant from "servings" in this context is that if I have 1 slice of pizza instead of 3. Or small fries instead of large.

Scribbles

2010-02-05T13:01:00.003-06:00

One weight loss tip that I come across constantly is to keep a food journal. So around about the end of December I thought "What the heck" and decided to give it a try. I grabbed a notebook and started.
I didn't go with the super detailed version where you write your portion size and calorie intake. But I do write down every single thing that goes in my mouth. Every entry starts the same, the date and next to that I write 'water'. Every glass of water I drink gets a little tick mark beside the water heading. (more on this another time but I used to drink virtually no water). And then next to the water I note any exercise I did that day.
Under the date/water/exercise heading I write down everything I eat & drink. Everything. Even something little like if I grab a couple french fries at work that goes on the list.
I was going to take a pic of a page from the notebook but then I realized 2 things...
1- you wouldn't be able to read my scribbly writing and 2- I have my own "shorthand" that makes sense to me but probably not a lot of other people! lol
So instead I flipped to a random day and 'translated' it for you. Here is an example:

Jan. 5/10 water lllll lllll T
2 eggs, 2 strips bacon, slice whole wheat toast, 2coffee/ half pear/ chicken wrap, small Greek salad/ bbq ribs, sweet potato fries, Pepsi/2 chocolates

So there is all the food I had that day, plus I noted that I drank 10 glasses of water and I worked out on the treadmill. Some days I have better food choices, some days they're better.
A few things that I find beneficial from keeping a food diary... I have noticed that the amount of caffeine (or no caffeine) does not seem to play a role in those migraines I was getting. I also know that its much easier to keep in mind when I've had my 'treat' and to keep from letting myself have too many 'treats' in a day. Its also nice to see that I'm managing to get a decent amount of water on a regular basis.
You know what else? Seeing what I've eaten and my exercise right there makes it easier to tell myself "You don't really need one more piece of chocolate!"

I Am Alive!

2010-02-03T09:53:00.002-06:00

Have not exactly *felt* alive lately, but... it's better today.

The happy news:
Pulled on my Christmas Jeans (the size 16 Lee Riders), and they were looser.
Pulled on my favorite battered and beat pair of sweat pants, and they uh... well... Let's put it this way. I asked Dear Husband the other night if it was my imagination, or were my sweats riding.. higher. I'm short waisted to start with, but things were just feeling.... weird.

Know what he said?
"Yeah honey. The other day I was wondering how much longer it would be before you were able to pull those sweats up to your nose...."

So to sum it up the Good News is things are melting. Firming up, too. Phew.

Laura, you posted food. Man, I love food. Seriously.

We've been on a make it from scratch kick lately. Why not- we can't get out and DO anything in the fricken rain and standing water, so I may as well learn new things, right? I was worried. The new things I *wanted* to learn were all-- ALL -- in the kitchen.

Cube Steak with scratch gravy. Fricken. Orgasmic. No left overs, as Husband and Children POWER CHOWED through it. I ate my share too, but the BOYS loved it.
Scratch banana pancakes. No sugar added- kids loved them. I ate two- and that was enough. They were good, but.... meh... Didn't really do much for me.

The bread machine is getting a workout too- almost every day. Simple ingredients. My usual breakfast has been coffee (probably too much of that to be truthful,) slice of homemade bread, and a clementine or two.

Lunch- left over's from the night before, if there are any. If not, then I scrounge and eat more fruits, again- smaller portions.

Supper time is always interesting. Fixing supper is an adventure, as there are usually two Little Mens "helping" me. By the time I get it fixed, get the kids fed, get the horse fed, have the kids sit back down and NOT chase the cat, shoo the dog away from the kids, greet Dear Husband, I'm too tired to eat much.

Overall- the food front is going good.

Moodwise it's been hard- the constant rain, standing water, and a lack of rest for about four weeks now has worn on me big time. When the footing is safe, I ride Sonny. If Dear Husband is home to control the kids, Sonny and I will take a walk together. (Most folks walk their dog... Not me. I walk an 1100 pound, almost 16 hand horse. Never said I was "normal".)

The never ending grey, lack of sleep, and on top of it computer and phone issues that COMCAST has been working on for a solid week... got to me.

Winter doldrums?
Fatigue?
Sick of feeling like we are simply "marking time"?

Not sure- but after a solid night's sleep last night, I woke still a bit tired, but better, and my mood feels, well, stronger.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

Food - The Next Frontier

2010-02-02T08:51:00.001-06:00

I’ve been doing pretty darn good with my workouts over the past three weeks. I’ve exercised 4x/week so far. I’m actually starting to notice a bit of a difference in my strength already – I’m no Arnold Schwarzenegger yet, but things are definitely going well in that regard.

The area where I could really use some work? Food. Yep, eating is still not coming along as much as I had thought.

Just to give you an idea, I’ve prepared a little scale – (kind of like the rate of perceived exertion scale for exercise people talk about) for your enjoyment…The percentage is the amount of healthy-ish food I’m eating.

10% - McDonald’s staff know me by name
20% - meh
30% - making a slight effort
40% - meh
50% - trying, but not really trying to hard
60% - getting better
70% - this isn’t so bad!
80% - bring on the fruit and veggies!
90% - superstah!

Right now, I feel like I’m bouncing around the 40-50% level. I don’t eat that much true junk food, but crackers (even “whole wheat” ones), cheese and store bought muffins aren’t exactly healthy choices either. Also, my portions are still a bit too big and my choices are lacking in fruits and vegetables most days. This is mostly due to laziness on my part. I like to cook and I like fruit and veggies. It just takes some work to wash and prepare that sort of food… Some days it is just easier to eat cheese and crackers and a muffin…

I can feel that my not-so-healthy food choices are sort of undoing the progress I may be making with my exercise. So, what to do about it???

Plan, plan, plan. That seems to be my best option. I need to write out some meal plans and log my food for a few weeks to get into the routine of eating better. I also need to incorporate more veggies in my meals. This is a bit tricky for me right now, since the easiest way to do that is to eat a salad every day. I love lettuce and spinach, but can’t eat very much due to some medication I have to take (weird, I know!). That limits me a bit, but I need to find ways to work around it.

I’ll be posting a bit about my food progress and trying to share some recipes and tips if I come across something interesting.

How about you guys? What do you eat day-to-day? Eat enough veggies? Like fruit but don’t eat enough? Spill the beans!

Running While Chunky: A Guide

2010-01-30T00:58:00.005-06:00

The following blog is what inspired me to begin Couch to 5k training. I'm reprinting it with permission of the author. Thanks Kristina!

Running While Chunky: A Guide
by Karvy09

Yep, I'm still running, still a "fit fatty!"

A few months ago, I wrote a blog called "But I'm Too Fat to Run!" which is still getting so much great responses from Spark members. I want to thank everyone who's been inspired by my and others' attempts to begin a running program. When I wrote that blog, I was 256 pounds and still morbidly obese, running, and nervous about my first 5K in a month's time. I started running at 275 pounds and everyone from my friends to family (except for my wonderful husband, my rock) called me "crazy" for training for a 5K.

Now, I call them crazy for doubting me!

Over 100 days later, I'm now 225 pounds with two 5Ks under my belt. I'm not perfect. I had my weak moments: the days when I wanted to stop, when I thought I'd NEVER be able to hit my mileage goals outside, when my shins ached, when my ankles turned, and when I despaired that I would never run as fast or as long as the others on the track.

Running can be just as psychological as physical. There are times when I broke down in tears from unrelated frustrations or from unbridled joy. You could learn something about yourself just by pushing yourself.

Because I think there are unique concerns for those who start running while obese or overweight, I started a thread on my Couch to 5K Group forum called the "Fat Runners Club," a support group for runners who are starting at a weight that they never believed they could run at. You can join the discussion here.

So what's next? Well, consider this "But I'm Too Fat to Run!" Part Two. I wanted to share a few of the tips that I and others have learned as we started our journey as fluffier runners, a concept I'll call Running While Chunky (RWC), kind of an update to my previous blog, and perhaps, PERHAPS an outline for a longer guide I hope to write. In the future, I hope to add update blogs as well.

I'm sure many Biggest Loser fans watched the final four contestants run/walk a marathon last week. Perhaps after seeing that you felt motivated to run, but are facing the doubts that are nagging you or the skepticism of your significant other or parents or friends.

Maybe you have the flashbacks back to the gym class in elementary school like I did. The 600-meter dash. The physical fitness test. Finishing last. Or next to last, like I did, right after the girl with an injury who was required to walk the whole thing. Fun times!

But you know what? Those days are over. You may be heavier now. But you are also stronger! You have come to SparkPeople to gain control over your life, and you are ontrack to a fitter and healthier you!

I am telling you right now. You can be a runner. You can do this.

CHAPTER ONE: TALK TO THE DOC
You think you're too fat to run? Don't take your own advice. Ask your doctor first. Some people will not be medically cleared to start a running program, but the great majority of people will be fine beginning a routine that eases you into running gradually in order to avoid injury.

CHAPTER TWO: SIGN UP FOR A RACE
Whoa, what? Surely you mean Chapter 17 or something. No, I mean Chapter 2! Listen, what's going to keep you motivated more than actually signing up for a race? Most road races benefit charitable causes, include slower runners and walkers, and are less competitive than you might think. So do it. If you can't run the entire race, it's OK. I wasn't ready to run the whole 3.1 miles when I signed up for my 5K. I still managed it in under 45 minutes, ahead of many other runners and walkers on the course.

Many of the runners that I know who stuck their training did it because they had a goal to be as fit as possible before their 5K. Make fitness your goal as well as a weight loss goal. Losing pounds is great, and I'm so happy with my progress thus far, but weight loss doesn't even compares to the thrill of running your first 5 minutes, half mile, one mile, or 5K. NOTHING.

CHAPTER THREE: ACCEPT IT: YOU'RE RUNNING WHILE CHUNKY (RWC)
SparkMember NORAB52GOOD said it best: "I realized I have to first be a slow, fat runner before I can be a fast thin runner. One follows the other." Well said. You're RWC; you're not going to run 8 mph like that fit chick on the treadmill at the gym. Not yet, anyways. If you lift your foot up before the other foot has fully struck the pavement or treadmill you are still running, even if this is only 4 mph or a 17-minute mile. One pet peeve about SparkPeople is that you have to be running 12-minute miles in order for SP to classify it as running and not walking. I don't believe this is true.

CHAPTER FOUR: CHECK OUT A RUNNING PROGRAM & START SLOW
I started with Couch to 5K (C25K), but there are others out there as well. C25K starts you out jog/walking three times per week, and the first week you are running for 1 minute and recover by walking for 90 seconds in intervals. It gradually gets harder and harder each week. Technically you are supposed to finish in 9 weeks, but if you are RWC, you most likely will not. It took me twice as long to finish C25K and that's OK!

Fight the urge to run longer or faster at first. Take your time. You are building up your endurance and fitness as a new runner. You will get there, but it will take time! You don't want to injure yourself just as you are hitting your stride!

CHAPTER FIVE: GET YOUR GEAR
Here is a list of the Top 3 items that the RWC suggest in order to maximize your experience while running.

1. Tight biker shorts that hit above the knee or tight spandex pants
This keeps the tummy and thighs from jiggling but is long enough to prevent the chafing that can occur when your thighs rub together when running. This is like the sports version of Spanx!

2. A good sports bra
The RWC are often very well endowed! My solution was to buy a sports bra one size too small so that the girls were pushed down right to my chest. Others have used TWO sports bras for support. In any case, keeping those puppies in check is integral to your running experience.

3. Running shoes
You need good running shoes (not cross-trainers) if you get serious about running. The difference is astounding when you get fitted for a pair of shoes. After running for a few months, I finally got around to going to a specialty running store to get a gait analysis and fitting and it was amazing. The RWC tend to overpronate (strike the foot at an angle) and stability shoes will be needed to help prevent injury. An insole insert might be a good start when strapped for cash or need some additional padding.

CHAPTER SIX: MUSIC'S IN MY SOLE
The C25K Program has a free podcast with a guy named Robert who will tell you to stop your walking and start running over and over again. It's boring, frankly. My solution to the monotony is to create your own playlist that signals when to stop and start. In the beginning you'll know that halfway through the song it will be time to start running, and soon. you might have three Blackeyed Peas songs that serve as your 10-minute running interval.

CHAPTER SEVEN: KEEP IT UP!
You might run on the treadmill and see the next marathoner plugging away and get discouraged. Or you'll be on an outdoor track and people will pass you or run longer than you. And when you start, you'll most likely have shin splints or some other minor pain. Work through it. Dispel all these doubts. If you want to be a runner, you can run. It may take longer and you may have to work harder at it than your skinny friends, but it can be done.

CHAPTER EIGHT: WORK WHAT WORKS
If you like running on the treadmill as winter approaches, do that. If you love the feel of running outdoors, then go for it. People will give you great advice, and people will maybe reach their goals faster than you do, but it's important to not become jealous of others quicker progress and give up. Have fun with it! Running can be a whole lot of fun and pushing your body to see what it can do is a fun game to play with yourself.

You will get there and persevere, and maybe someday you will wear a shirt like ZIRCADIA'S at your first marathon: "Because I used to weigh almost 300 pounds" and others will be astonished and inspired by you. That is my goal, anyways.

Happy running to all!

Fallen off the wagon...

2010-01-26T10:51:00.001-06:00

And scrambling to get back on…

Up until recently I have been doing well with my new exercise and diet goals. I was bringing my lunch to work each day and walking the stairs at least once a day. Then I got busy at work and worked through 3 days worth of breaks. I was exhausted at night and bought dinner instead of cooked it which meant I didn’t have leftovers for the next day’s lunch. See where this is going?

I had fallen off the wagon.

I am working to get back on though, I am back to taking tennis lessons and each night I have done pushups and crunches (much to the amusement of my dog I might add). I did the stairs yesterday, 5 flights of them. I was winded at the top (not good) but I can feel the improvement. Each day I am a little less winded and I feel more energetic.

My co-worker and I are thinking about taking a cruise to Mexico in the next year, and I want to wear a cute 2 piece bathing suit on the beach and look good doing it. I think I can reach that goal.

I’ve also renewed my love of DDR. Heard of it? It’s Dance Dance Revolution, a video game that is available for most all of the video game consoles. You “dance” to selected songs by stepping on arrows on your dance pad as they appear on the screen. It will give you a cardio workout like you won’t believe

28 Days Later

2010-01-25T11:40:00.000-06:00

As of today it has been 28 days that I've been hitting the treadmill and eating better. Still not great with food but definitely better!

I haven't weighed myself lately, this last week was TOM so weight isn't necessarily accurate anyhow. I will give myself a pat on the back for something that may seem silly though... the other day when the PMS was really bad I was craving chocolate in the WORST way. I had a chocolate bar and reallyreallyreally wanted another one but I stuck to my guns. I tried to keep busy until the craving went away and after awhile it did. In the old days I would have justified letting myself have a second bar, not that it was normal practice but because I would have reasoned that it was the PMS therefore I should cut myself some slack.

The 28 days is a bit of a big deal. "They" say that it takes anywhere from 21 to 30 days to create a new habit. And getting my butt moving on that treadmill IS becoming a habit :) I have missed a total of 4 days, 3 of them life got in the way and Saturday I gave myself the day off because I had been outside shovelling snow for an hour (with Pie's help thank God!) So I figured the shovelling had to have burned SOME calories! lol AND I worked through the pain of my injured knee, another thing I normally would have used as an excuse to avoid the exercise.
You know what though? All the days I missed I was itching to get on the treadmill. There were a couple other days where I was feeling lazy but come evening I'd get to twitching and get on that machine, and I felt great afterwards. (and I've finally seen all of the Sex & the City episodes - not the movie though)

I think its time that I up'd things a bit so when time permits I plan on doing 45 minutes and on days when I'm short on time I'll stick to the 30 but increase the speed/incline. I'm also planning on heading back to Curves now that I've got my treadmill routine firmly in place.

I'm Still Here... Sort Of

2010-01-24T15:06:00.002-06:00

And I have a question. OK, so this IS me we're talking about, and I *always* have questions, but this time I'm hoping it's one that you guys have some insight on.

It's about my feet. Back when I was bred and due to foal, my Doctor told me to expect a change in shoe size. They did- wider and at least a half size bigger.
Crap- wrong shot. THOSE feet I see in my sleep. In nightmares.

Now, four years later, post last child, my shoes and boots are slopping around on me like crazy. I noticed it some a few days ago, as my socks were sucked down into my boots, but I didn't think anything other than "Time to get new socks". Today however, when I went to cue Sonny, I needed to roll my heel into his side some to get his attention. And I'll be darned if my boot- which really was tied snugly- didn't about come off.

So. My question is: can it be? Is it possible? Or is it just time to invest in new socks and probably some not-so-broken in boots? Or can you actually loose weight in your feet?

The rest of life.. well, it's been. I've been on a fresh fruit kick, and feel better for it. More movement, more riding (when it isn't fricken RAINING,) and more walking around with the kids. (OK, so to be totally honest here, more CHASING AFTER the kids as they have gone wild and reverted back to primordial genetic memories and are acting like cavemen. Bad. Cavemen.)

But we'll make it. One step at a time, one ride at a time, one second at a time. I have duct tape holding my eye twitch from knocking my glasses off, but hey- at least when I remove the duct tape, I won't have to pay for a wax on that eyebrow, right?

Clearing out the Clutter and a Book Giveaway!

2010-01-24T08:05:00.002-06:00

One of my goals for 2010 was to work on clearing out the clutter in my life. This applies to actual physical stuff around the house, my email inboxes and mental clutter.

These things take time, but I’m finding the physical clutter the easiest to deal with. So far this year, I have cleaned out the spare bedroom, the linen closet, the bathroom cupboards and my bedroom.

Not a bad start! There is a lot more I could do, but right now the rooms and closets are tidy and I don’t feel bad when I go in those rooms anymore. It feels good to let stuff go. I’m also in a really good place with regards to NOT buying more stuff to replace what I’ve thrown out/donated… So I think we may have some progress here!

I even cleaned out my bookshelves and I have several health/diet/fitness books that I was wondering if you guys would be interested in… I am willing to mail the books to anyone that is interested. Just pass them on to another friend when you no longer need them! Leave a comment stating which book(s) you are interested (and make sure there is a way to contact you) and I’ll get in touch with you to get your mailing address. In the event that multiple people want the same book, I’ll draw names or something. (All links are to Amazon.ca for reference.)

Body for Life – Bill Phillips

Strength for Life – Shawn Phillips

The Best Life Diet – Bob Greene (Oprah’s trainer)

The New Rules of Lifting for Women – Lou Shuler

Happy for No Reason – steps to being happy from the inside out – Marci Shimoff

Hunger Free Forever – Michael T. Murray, Michael Lyon

The Natural Makeover Diet – Dr. Joey Shulman

The Biggest Loser 30 day Jumpstart – Cheryl Forberg + The biggest loser experts and cast

The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl – Shauna Reid

Does this Clutter Make my Butt Look Fat? – Peter Walsh (from Clean Sweep on TLC) (hardcover, missing jacket)

The Ultimate Weight Solution – Dr. Phil (hardcover, missing jacket)

Today, I Cried

2010-01-21T13:54:00.005-06:00

Now, I don't want ya'll thinking this is a pity-party post, because it's not. Not all tears are tears of sadness. Some can even come from joy. Several little things have happened since I last blogged and I want to tell you about them. Getting healthy is a multi-faceted thing. ALL aspects of being undergo changes. For me, that means these past few days have been emotional ones.

I'm sure most of you realize that I blog under a pseudonym. And most of you know my real first name. And I'm sure most of you realize that my blog email address is in no way connected to my main email address. And this is why:

As some of you may know, I've been involved in a 2 year custody dispute for my eldest child, Kitty. It's been ugly. Horrifically ugly. And because of this, I blog in such a way that the other parties (yes, parties) in this dispute cannot find my blog and use anything I say there against me.

But recently, there have been some changes. The Marine, my ex-husband and father of my daughter Kitty, not only extended an olive branch to me, but owned his own sh*t and apologized to me for the ending of our marriage, the way it ended and everything else that has happened in the last 10 years. He was clean, sober and sincere. His wife, whom I have had a chilly relationship with in the past, also apologized to me for the way she has treated me in the past and all the nasty things she told Kitty growing up about me that weren't true. Now, they have decided to support my suit for full and permanent custody of Kitty.

That, for me is the biggest positive turn around. It's more of a blessing than I could have ever asked for. But, it's not all!

The Guardian Ad Litem for the case suddenly began singing a different tune yesterday. A tune that is in my favor. And it started in court when he could have easily continued to throw me under the bus and had already informed me that he was planning on doing so.

I cannot tell you how these two things alone lift so much stress and worry off from me! But, things just keep getting better and better...

My husband, the Corporate Prince, has been so inspired by my dedication to the Couch to 5k program that he has now started training for a triathlon using the Couch to Tri program. He hopes to complete a spring triathlon this year, a couple Olympic distance triathlons next year, Half-Triathlons the year after and really hopes to qualify for the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii by the time he's 40. That's 6 years away, folks! But, he has found an avid interest in life and an abundance of energy since he started focusing on the program recently!

I don't think any of you know this, but my biological mother passed away of Leukemia 19 years ago. I was 5 yrs old. And I have very few memories of her. Those that I have revolve around her illness and hospitals and catheters. Back then, not a whole lot was known about Leukemia and many of the treatments were more like clinical trials with a very, very low chance of survival.

My mother was 33 years old when she passed. I am now 34 years old. I also am the spitting image of her, albeit slightly shorter.

Today, I was inspired to look up information on races and walks held in honor of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I found a few here in Oregon and some that I might consider traveling to later this year. However, I came across a group called Team In Training, where you can join the cause, get training help from their certified coaches and compete while raising money for research and treatment to help others.

I will not only run in Portland's Race for the Roses, but I will be running in my mother's honor. I will run for the mother I barely knew.

That made me cry.

So, my friends, I challenge you to find a race, a walk, a trail ride, something and donate your time to a cause that means something to each of you. Not only will we get fit and healthier doing this, but we will feel good knowing we helped make this world a little bit better, and made a difference in a life.

Are you with me??

Checking in...

2010-01-18T10:23:00.003-06:00

Happy Monday everyone! I'm in a suprisingly good mood, all things considered. The good mood could be due to the fact that I have an appointment with my trainer after work... :-) Pain and torture, here I come!

I feel like I am in a bit of a holding pattern with my life right now - hubby's job situation (worrying about my budget), dog with an ACL problem (and waiting for our vet appointment), my legs are better, (but not 100%), etc. etc. The one thing that is actually starting to sllooowwllly come together is my exercise program.

Usually exercise is the first thing I avoid or ditch when things get stressful and busy. Last week though?

I exercised 4 (yes four!) times!

And I went riding as well, which I don't really count as exercise because it is fun. I am slowly starting to see how some people use exercise as stress relief - I used to think people that said that were a bit crazy, but I'm changing my opinion on that (or maybe I am now crazy too - hard to say!).

Another thing I am taking note of as I re-start exercising for the 23987823th time, is how I feel at each stage. I'm sort of having fun watching all of my old excuses fall by the wayside. Let's have a bit of a retrospective:

Excuse 1 - I was waffling about what exercise(s) to do and for how long. Ha - solved that problem (for now) with a trainer.

Excuse 2 - I was worried about how sore my muscles and body would be - that often deters me as well. Well, I survived sore muscles and I'm here to tell the tale.

Excuse 3 - I don't have time - I have exercised 4 times this week and still had dinner with the hubby, been out to see Rusty AND watched my favourite tv shows... No time - pffffbbttt!

Excuse 4 and my latest mental struggle? I am a total weakling.

I have lost any and all strength that I once had. I actually hurt my bicep a bit last week doing curls with 8lb dumbbells! Yikes! It is sort of funny now, but last week I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. The old Laura would have used this as an excuse to stop working out - why bother, I'm so weak...etc. etc. For some reason now, it is just another little hurdle to get over instead of a big excuse.

I'm not sure what has changed in my thinking, but I'll take it!!! :-)

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

Ok - subject change!!! I have been working on preparing some exercise and fitness books for a little giveaway! I have the post written - just need to edit it and I'll be posting it later this week!

Finally!

2010-01-14T22:45:00.002-06:00

Its starting to come together for me, finally!
Seems like every time I was "ready" something would happen to de-rail me. Well I've stepped up and said "Enough!" and started working within my limitations when I'm hurting and going for it when I can. And lately I AM hurting. I won't go into details except to say my dang knee got all banged up and is missing some skin, which makes bending too much very ouchy. Also both knees are, one elbow and my chest are sporting some LOVELY colour (bruises are SO sexy! lol) But I can still walk so walk I will!
I have been on my treadmill for at least 30 minutes every day for the last 17 days except for 2 days. And for 4 of those days I went on the treadmill twice! (again 30 min + each time)
I've also been eating better. Not great, not perfect, but better. My supper at work is usually a chicken Greek salad (well MY version: romaine, peppers and onion with the dressing on the side) or a Chicken burger (grilled breast on a bun with some lettuce and mozza) with a small Greek salad. I've had a small pasta a couple times and a steak once.
Now that sweet tooth... still working on that. But what I'm finding is that if I give myself one sweet treat a day it goes away. Sometimes its a few jelly beans (I LOVE "Jelly Belly" beans!!) or a piece or two of chocolate, a small bowl of ice cream. Right now that's what is working for me. And I'm able to cap it off at the ONE treat.
Best of all, last week I lost 4 lbs!!

Time Is On Our Side

2010-01-14T19:54:00.002-06:00

This phrase comes up often- almost daily- in our hoof care practice. It comes up in conversation between Dear Husband and myself, when talking about Sonny. And when talking about my dismay with my rather rounded physique too.

Time.

It dawned on me tonight, after reading comments and trying to catch up on things, that I DO have Time. I have time to NOT put so darn much pressure on myself to go go go go go and do do do do do do. If I don't STOP now and then, and breathe deep, take a moment to see the sun, feel the ground beneath my boots or the horse between my knees, then I am too fried to give a rat's a$$ if weight has been lost or gained, or if I feel one tiny iota better or worse.

I did not get into this state of disrepair overnight. I will not change this state of disrepair overnight either. There is no deadline stating I MUST be XXX size/ weight by XXX date.

Wait- deadline. Dead. Line. That word always felt morbid to me. I don't *like* pressure like that, and often will balk and sour faster than a wrung out over run kids horse when it's applied to me.

As long as I have a realistic expectation for myself, I work fine. But saying that I'll be a size 10 by my birthday in September? Fagedaboudit. If anything, I'd pork up to a 20.

So just like we do with our horses ladies- Take The Time It Takes.

Be strong- we'll make it all the way to being HEALTHIER!

Limbo

2010-01-13T15:08:00.003-06:00

That is where I have been. Mental, physical, lost in space Limbo. Not even the FUN kind of Limbo, where we see how low we can go, either. (Yeah, right. With MY back? HA~ We could take bets on how long it would take to recover!)

I've been working Sonny religiously, and riding, and that is... about it. Not gaining anything back, but not exactly LOOSING anything either ya know?

The Deep Freeze sent me into stasis. I swear. That wasn't me out in the cold working Sonny, it was my Evil Twin. Had to be- because my BRAIN was not engaged at all!

However, it looks to be warming up down here. Which is good- as maybe those last two brain cells (that the children have not yet fried) will thaw, and motivation can be created once again. Starting with the "Team Cowgirl Up Club": where the Motto is "SHUT UP AND RIDE!"

ETA: I did. I shut up and rode. And it was AMAZING! ;)

I've been holding out on you guys...

2010-01-08T09:07:00.002-06:00

So, as the title suggests, I have some news that I didn't tell everyone. It's not really that big of a deal, but I was feeling guilty that I hadn't yet spilled the beans!

One of my goals on my list was to start working out regularly. I've been trying to pysch myself up to start a exercise routine of any kind since my legs stopped hurting so much in November. I did not do well at all - I was overthinking everything (as usual) and would talk myself out of even trying anything. Due to my overthinking tendencies, I often have to trick myself or outsmart myself to get anything done. Sometimes bribery works, but usually I have to resort to drastic measures...

Problem 1 - I was lacking motivation
Solution - Hire a personal trainer. (Hubby offered to help me, but I didn't want to get grouchy and mad at him!)

Problem 2 - I hate leaving the house after I get home from work because it is cold, dark and miserable.
Solution - Stop somewhere on the way home, so I wouldn't get stuck.

So, over the holidays, I was talking with my brother in law, who works out once a week with a trainer. This trainer is a friend of his and she has a small private fitness studio downtown. A-ha! This is a solution to problem 2 - I work east of downtown and live west of downtown, so I could stop there on my way home!

I called and spoke to this lady and she was busy, so she assigned me to one of her other trainers.

He sent me an email to set up an appointment and I noticed that he had his own web site. I thought I would have a look and see if I could learn a bit about this guy before going in to meet him.

Go check out the web site - I'll wait here while you do. No need to read the whole site, just check out the pictures at the top...

http://www.marksparks.com

Did you see the pictures? Holy cow - I was totally intimidated going to meet this guy. I'm a short chubby middle-aged chick and this guy is a professional actor, model AND an athlete! Yikes!

I had my first appointment on Wednesday and all of my worry was for nothing. He is super nice, easy-going and really knowledgeable about exercise and fitness. I think he will be a good motivator for me to get my workouts back on track.

I was joking with my hubby that this guy is my own personal Tommy Europe! :-) Any of you guys that watch Bulging Brides or the Last 10lbs Bootcamp will know what I mean!

Here's to progress! (however painful and slow...lol)

Goalz I haz dem!

2010-01-07T11:33:00.002-06:00

I'm back!

Life has been quite busy lately but I do promise to drop in far more often than I have been!

Here's a repost from my personal blog regarding my 2010 goals:

I won't call them New Year's Resolution's since I read somewhere that calling a goal or project a "New Year's Resolution" is basically setting it up for failure. My friend J doesn't make resolutions, she makes rules because she will not break rules. I guess it's all in how you look at things, right?

Health

Go to the gym 3x times a week, and workout out for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Complete a 5K race while averaging a 10 minute mile.
Spend one 15 minute break per day walking the stairs at work instead of browsing the internet (I work in a 17 floor bldg, I started with 4 flights/day and will add a flight each week).

And in case you all are interested in the personal goals for my life, here goes:

Personal Life

Give more handmade gifts.
Along those very same lines, embrace my craftiness and spend more time crafting and less time shopping. (Especially important given the $1,000 car repair bill I was saddled with today! p.s. Anyone interested in buying photo tiles as gifts? I available for hire!)
Utilize my dog training books and teach Storm Dog one new trick a month.
Put 10% of every paycheck into savings for a “rainy day”.

Holiday Surprises Unveiled

2010-01-06T11:37:00.011-06:00

On the first day of Christmas-Birthday my Corporate Prince gave to me: an ipod in pink!

Now I can easily listen to music while I work out without bothering anyone else in the house while it's blaring and workout outside if I so choose. Also, my ipod is limited to workout music alone which makes it very, very convenient.

On the second day of Christmas-Birthday my Kitty gave to me: 2 Polish hens!

If I'm going to have hens, I might as well have some that look like Muppets, right? These girls are a little beat up from being picked on by their former flock but are recovering nicely here with my own girls. Hopefully, their top-knots and tail feathers will come back soon.

On the third day of Christmas-Birthday my Doodle gave to me: 3 goaties!

These cute little munchers are the start of my herd. First up, de-blackberry my pasture! Next, put in another pasture for them to clear and so on, and so on, and so on!

On the fourth day of Christmas-Birthday Santa gave to me: Fitness books and dvds!

They say that knowledge is power. Fitness and health are power too! So, together this should be a powerful combination!

On the fifth day of Christmas-Birthday my in-laws and Dude gave to me: Workout clothing!

From the in-laws I received new trail runners, light weight gloves for the cold, a workout jacket with hood and new yoga pants, all matching. From dude, I got a down vest and matching fitness weight fleece. Oh, and Santa brought me a new sports bra too! What great motivation!

On the sixth day of Christmas-Birthday Santa brought to me: Buckets for my barn!

And new eye bolts and carabiner clips to hold the buckets! I also got a headlamp so I can see in the barn at night or put light exactly where I'm looking when I examine a wound, a stethoscope, because we horse people really should have one, and a new halter and lead rope for the Maddie-Cakes because I detest the ones she came with.

On the seventh day of Christmas-Birthday my CP gave to me: CASEY!

Casey was scheduled to come home on my birthday, the 27th, but the weather was awful and CP didn't want to jepordize Casey's well-being in any way. Then, we had him scheduled to come home on the 30th, but it snowed enough I didn't feel safe having him trailered up. Now, it's so rainy and everything is so sloppy that I don't want the trailer getting stuck trying to get here, nor do I want to try to introduce Casey and Maddie on the sloppy footing of my pasture where I may slip and fall myself. So, we wait for better footing and weather... There just always seems to be a delay! But, both CP and Tasha (our trainer) assure me that Casey will be brought home to me as quickly as can be done safely and humanly possible.

So, those were the big secrets I made you guys wait on! I was hoping to have pictures of Casey actually here at home before I posted this but that was not meant to be apparently. Hopefully, my muscle-bound baby will come home to a trimmer and more svelte mama soon!

There Is More To Life Than Just Salad: Part 1- Breakfast

2010-01-05T11:23:00.006-06:00

Are you tired of living on celery sticks and lettuce leaves? Wondering what the heck you could possibly eat that is quick and easy and is good for you? Well, here are some ideas I'd like to share!

Breakfast

Now, breakfast really IS the most important meal of the day. After years of being an anti-breakfast eater, I discovered just how much better I feel and how much more energy I have when I eat breakfast. Also, after 2 months of being a breakfast eater, I've learned to enjoy it, welcome it and appreciate the benefits it gives my body. I also find that I eat less throughout the day, that I'm less likely to over-indulge. Plus, it's important to eat enough calories throughout the day. Not eating enough is just as bad for you as eating too much. You need to intake calories to burn calories, or your body goes into starvation mode and turns the calories you do eat into fat to store for later. It's our body's "fight or flight" mechanism.

Some of the things I eat for breakfast are:

Oatmeal (1/2 c. instant oatmeal to 1 c. water, microwave 2 minutes, add fruit, nuts and spices to taste. I like frozen blueberries because it cools the oatmeal off quickly)

Waffles- I prefer Nutrigrain, but recently read that there's supposed to be a shortage in upcoming months due to a plant close. I tend to eat my waffles plain, but you could spread a Tbsp of peanut butter on them for some protein.

Yogurt- I mix about 2 Tbsp of Grapenuts in. It gives a nice crunch to the yogurt and softens the cereal so it's not like rocks.

Crustless Quiche- usually, this is left over from dinner the night before. And, honestly, I can't make pie crust to save my life, so I decided years ago to skip the crust (since I don't really like it anyways) and just go for the good stuff.

4 eggs (or egg beaters if you prefer)
1/2 c. non-fat milk
dash of Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning blend
1-2 c. veggies of your choice, pre-cooked (I usually use steamed spinach- squeezed out or broccoli, sun dried tomatoes- not oil packed!, but you can use anything, really)
cheese- cheddar, feta, swiss- only a couple ounces, grated
Pre-cooked meat source, about a handful- but not always. Ham is especially good. A little crumbled bacon goes a long, long way

Pre-heat oven to 375. Spray a pie pan with non-stick spray, set aside.
Beat eggs, milk and seasoning together.
Add in veggies, meat and 1/2 the cheese (unless using feta, then toss it all in), Mix well
Pour into pie pan
Bake for 25 minutes
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, bake just until melted and golden (about 10 minutes)
Remove from oven and let rest about 5 minutes
Slice into 8, just like a pie
Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings

Now, I know what you're thinking. Quiche is notoriously high in fat, cholesterol, and calories! Yes, but... We didn't use crust, remember? We've also modified the recipe. And you're only eating 1/8th! Not the whole pie! 1/8th of this is around 200 calories. I'm too lazy to do the math right now. Cheese is being used in moderation. Did I mention the lack of crust? It's like an oven made omlet casserole and it reheats well, unlike omlets. Remember, "diet" food doesn't have to be boring, or salad!

What about having a serving of low-fat cottage cheese, a piece of whole grain toast and some fruit? Or two mini bagels with some neufanchel cheese? Or blend up a smoothie with some protein powder? What? You need a recipe?

For those Non-Breakfast Eater Types:

This is how I started out learning to eat breakfast. These three recipes helped me so very much while I was adjusting. Plus, they're a great way to squeeze in some extra protein, which helps keep your blood sugar level and stave off the mid-morning slump. Personally, I tend to not get enough protein in my diet unless I'm being conscientious about it. Protein powder (like Gold Standard 100% whey) helps. You'll get extra amino acids our bodies need too! And no, it's not just for body builders. And it won't make you bulk up, unless that's your goal, in which case, this isn't the blog for you anyways!

Protein Smoothie

4 standard ice cubes
1 medium banana
4 large strawberries
1 serving protein powder
1/4 c. orange juice

Blend until smooth

And an alternate:

1 serving protein powder
1/2 c. mixed berries
5 strawberries
5 oz cranberry juice
5 oz water or skim milk
5 ice cubes

Blend on high until smooth

And for the coffee lovers out there:

Brew 2 c. fresh coffee
Pour hot coffee into blender
add one scoop protein powder
add preferred healthy sweetener (I used 1 tsp. hershey's syrup, but that's me)
add soy milk or rice milk (like you would use creamer)
whip in blender until frothy.

Welcome to day 4 of 2010

2010-01-04T10:31:00.005-06:00

So, here it is - January 4th, 2010. Where does the time go???

I'm a bit hesitant to make big goals as I have a pretty bad history at accomplishing big things. I really need to break things down into smaller objectives - that way it doesn't seem so daunting. I'll try not to bore you guys with the minutae of my goals - but instead give you a bit of a summary. I actually have the three main goals below broken down into SMART goals on a big, geeky spreadsheet, so I will spare you guys the pain of reading each little item! (Aren't I nice? lol)

1) Improve my financial situation. I have a tendency to spend money like it is going out of style. I put up with a mind-numbing job for my money, so I had the notion that I deserved to spend as much as I wanted. That hasn't really worked out so well for me. Horse equipment is especially tempting. (Hence the no tack shop purchases until June 2010 goal on my other blog!)

Hubby and I wrote up a household budget this weekend and it is kind of exciting to have a grip on that stuff and to be in agreement about it all. I have some leeway to buy new clothes if required, but I have a ton of stuff in various sizes, so I'm hoping to be ok until June. I'm not cutting everything out of my life - just the crazy extra stuff - buying magazines and books, going out to lunch/dinner all the time... basically trying not to buy stuff I don't really need for a while.

2) Focus on my health, both physical and mental! My health problems of 2009 have really made me sit up and take notice. Previously, I have been a bit overweight and it hasn't really affected me all that much, or so I thought. I am really a believer that being overweight causes inflammation in the body and that inflammation is silent until it gets to be too much and then it manifests itself in some way in your body... (Dr. Oz and Dr. Weil talk about this if anyone is interested in googling it.)

So - some SMART mini-goals in this are:

to start working out (gently at first) 3-4x/ week and gradually increase the intensity.
Also, I will be keeping a journal of any symptoms/problems as required, to help my dr's diagnose and treat any issues.
eat more vegetables and healthy foods - and make a strong attempt to reduce the amount of sugar I consume. I will achieve this by reading more, planning out menus ahead of time and doing the prep work required.

3) Clear out the clutter (both physical and mental) I have a bit of clutter around the house, on my computer, in my email inbox(es), on my desk at work, in my brain, etc. etc. I have been working on the house and my computer since October and I am making alot of progress.

I have also been unscribing from all kinds of (basically) junk emails that I was all excited about last year. They tempt me into buying things and just clutter up my inbox. This purging feels great - I feel like I am taking back control of my life.

Mentally, I spent some time this fall pondering my decisions and life over the past few years - looking at the good and the bad. I ended up focusing too much time on the bad and not-so-good and hindsight just isn't all that helpful.

I am going to work on being positive, seeing the positive in life (even when it is hard) and repeating the phrase that hubby hit me with last week while talking all of this out... "Every day is a gift". That pretty much sums it up for me. Every day is what we make of it, so I need to work on trying to do something every day that I feel good about, so that I won't look back over these next 10 years and regret everything...

Actually, alot of my goals stem around the Nike phrase of the 90's "JUST DO IT!". I really need to show up for life and just do things. I tend to worry, plan, over-agonize, stress, worry some more and it is really annoying. I tend to keep all of those issues in my head and not bore people with it (until now - lucky readers!)

It is now time to put on my big-girl britches and cowgirl UP! Yeehaw! Let's go!

Take A Walk With Us...

2010-01-02T20:40:00.003-06:00

Well, we did it. We survived Christmas, the week after, and New Years Eve. We made it to 2010.

I'm not sure HOW we made it, but we did. Phew...

The Little Mens and I have been trying to walk a bit more. A couple days ago, we got feeling really froggy, and walked to the tower that is behind us. While it was a great walk, it will be the last one we make out there. The road back is only about a 1/4 mile long, but... well, let's just say as we got closer to the tower station, my skin prickled and the "Danger!" buzzer in my mind was singing loudly.

We will just have to find other places to walk.
Post ten inch rain deluge, our job during the day for quite a few days was to keep an eye on the pump, and make sure it was doing it's best to drain the water from Sonny's paddock and our yard.
Walking with an almost four year old and a five year old is interesting. Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog does her best to keep up with the lead child (usually Cub,) but by the end of the walk she's lagging back by Wrecking Crew and I, letting Cub get ahead of us some. She sure does get upset though, if he ducks around a bend and out of sight...

I still don't have much of an appetite, and Dear Husband has had to growl at me to make sure I am eating enough the past few days. New Year's celebrations around here tend to go on and on and on for a few days. Sleep has been elusive, as every time there is a firework explosion, or gun shots, I wake up. And when I get *this* tired, I just don't want to eat.

But as long as Dear Husband keeps an eye on me, all is well.

Oh- some neat news! For Christmas, Dear Husband got me a new pair of jeans. Lee Riders-- totally rock by the way, if you ride because you can RIDE in them (horses y'all-- horses!) Anyways-- the jeans are a size smaller than I have been wearing, and there is ROOM in them.

I had to go to the feed store a couple days ago, and I wore my Christmas jeans and a pretty shirt that came with them... the lady that owns the store hadn't seen me for about 5 or 6 weeks, and the first words out of her mouth were: "Oh wow! You have lost a lot of weight!!"

Made my day. Totally.

How is everyone holding up for the new century? Fill us in when you can!!

SMART Resolutions

2009-12-31T01:49:00.004-06:00

Its that time of year again... New Year's Resolutions. I always joke that since NYR seem to be made to be broken that mine will be to take up smoking and to quit horses... and every year I succeed in 'breaking' my NYR! lol

This time I'm going to tweak things and make SMART Resolutions. As Keebler has pointed out SMART goals are those that are:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

My number 1 SMART Res is to get back on the treadmill for a minimum of 30 minutes a day/5 days a week. To work that up to 45 minutes for at least 3 of those days by the middle of February.

I don't like to focus on the pounds and the numbers. It is honestly more important to me that I feel good than to reach a certain magic number on the scale. However I know that to be/feel healthy my weight does need to be a smaller number than it currently is. (I'm not quite brave enough to say out loud to the blog world what that number is.) However my number 2 SMART Res is to have my weight be under a certain number by the end of July. August is the provincial finals for barrel racing and I want to be under that number by the time they roll around. The lbs removed per month is attainable if I start moving my butt more and eating better. (and remain injury free!)

Speaking of eating, SMART Res number 3 is a tough one, for me... to eat more veggies. I don't know if its that sweet tooth or what but I find most veggies quite bitter. Although I was very happy that Mom made turnip as one of the sides for Christmas dinner. Not sure why but I really like turnip. Sadly Pie doesn't so I don't make it often.

I plan on eating at least one work meal a week as a salad, Chicken Greek most likely. And to have more veggies with my other meals. I'm also going to try to have more veggies as snacks as opposed to fruits or sweets.

And my favourite SMART Res has to wait until spring. I want to try to ride at least 4 x/week. Right now its too cold most of the time to ride outside (although Kimfer and I went for an hour and a half on Sunday!) and I don't have the time often enough to haul out somewhere plus ride, cool out the pony, get back to the barn and then back home before work. So that will have to wait - but its on the list!

I'm off to a good start, I literally just got off the treadmill after a half hour and yesterday I had my Chicken Greek salad at work for lunch!

(I looooove our Greek salad dressing. We make our own at the restaurant and its SO dang good. I don't know how people can eat the oily junk from a supermarket shelf!)

So what about you guys? Do you do the NYR thing? Set goals? Or keep on keepin' on?

14 Tips for Starting and Sticking With It

2009-12-28T15:51:00.006-06:00

I'm postponing my big reveal for a couple more days. The schedule got a bit discombobulated. However, I promise I'll reveal all shortly! In the mean time, I thought I'd reprint a SP article I read just now. Since it's Monday, I've got to get back on the wagon, especially if I ever want to run that 5k!

14 Tips for Starting and Sticking With It
Stop Failure Before it Starts
-- By Julie Isphording, former Olympian

For some of us out there, if we could just convince ourselves that there is enough time in the day to exercise, we could be on track to a great fitness program. For others, we get started but quickly lose momentum and give up. To help get started and stay on track, here are a few tips:

1. Throw away the bathing suit you wore in high school… and the memory too. It’s normal to have a mental image of yourself when you last exercised like a fiend. But if that image is from high school, you could be in big trouble. Even if it’s from last year, forget it. Remember as little as possible of what you used to look like. Starting today, make new memories.

2. Prepare. We already know you don’t have the time, so write it down like an appointment every day. You wouldn’t cancel an appointment, why would you cancel on yourself? Aren’t you important too?

3. Start slowly. Do much less than what you’re capable of. Take a 20-minute walk if you’re returning to exercise. You might feel like it’s not enough, but it’s a good start.

4. Get the family involved. Run while your daughter rides her bike. Go to a local track and let the kids play their own games. Run with your spouse. Sign up for a local 10K. Walk with your son. Celebrate with a little something special after every activity.

5. Where are your friends? Four words, four reasons – motivation, inspiration, determination, conversation. Surround yourself with friends who think positive and live large.

6. Put the pain in perspective. When the going gets tough, remember that you have survived 600 carpools, 540 loads of laundry (this month), 41 baseball games, 230 dinners and one family vacation. What’s the big deal?

7. Allow yourself to slow down. You’re driving this bus! For the first time today, you are in control.

8. Sign up for a race. It’s a goal to strive for and adds a little meaning to your everyday workout.

9. Run/walk in public. Be proud of your accomplishment. Take in all the sites and be an inspiration to others.

10. Just show up. Go to the gym, class, or the park. Once you’re there, it’s hard to say no. 98% of life is showing up.

11. Eat. Follow a healthy eating pattern. If you limit your calorie intake, you will not have enough energy to work out and your metabolism will slow down.

12. Understand your energy cycle. There are peaks during our days. Even during the week. Try to complete your workout when you feel good about yourself.

13. Wallow in your greatness. You can exercise to become a better exerciser, or you can exercise to become a better mother, a better father, doctor, teacher, or a better friend – or you can exercise to become BETTER. Be proud of that accomplishment.

14. Have fun. Where’s your childlike spirit? When you can make workouts "playouts," you’ve got it made.

Don’t give up on yourself. After all, it’s never too late to be that healthy person you might have been.

Checking in...

2009-12-27T11:45:00.002-06:00

Just thought I would write a quick post to check in and see if everyone survived Christmas?? If the food and sweets don't get you, your in-laws will! lol

Our Christmas was nice, but a bit chaotic. We were all crammed into my in-laws place and most of the time it is fun, but as can be expected when a bunch of people are all staying together, things can get a bit hairy.

We had to come home a bit earlier than planned so we could avoid driving in a nasty storm. Yesterday we got freezing rain, then rain and then as the temps dropped in the afternoon, it turned to snow. The end result is a wet, slippery mess. Hopefully Rusty is ok - haven't braved the roads to go check on him.

Anyway, I didn't do too bad in the food department this holiday season. I decided not to do any baking, so I didn't have sweets lying around. I also managed to avoid parties and gatherings with bad food choices (one benefit of being an introvert!). I enjoyed a nice turkey dinner and a bit of chocolate and that was it. I feel pretty good about all of that. Not much in the exercise department, but that will come in time.

I'm working on some decent positive momentum here in frozen littlekeebler land, so here's to hoping 2010 will bring lots of improvements.

I always find the week between Xmas and New Year's to be a bit strange - all of the big events of one year are over, but the new year just isn't here yet... I'm debating whether I want to formalize my goals or skip the whole "Resolution" bit... I find I don't do well with big looming goals and deadlines, but on the other hand, I don't do well without some guidelines to keep me honest.

What are your thoughts? Do you write a big list of New Year's resolutions? Do you skip it and just keep on with whatever you are doing? Do you prefer to write out goals with "SMART" (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) objectives?

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T17:02:00.001-06:00

Time has flown before us, and Christmas is not just "almost" here any longer- it IS here. Our journey continues, into better health, strength, and happiness, and I wanted to take a moment to wish each and every one of you on this journey a Very Merry Christmas.

And remember, on Christmas? The only thing over loaded with calories are the Rum Balls ;)

I Am Encouraged!

2009-12-22T19:24:00.004-06:00

Right, so this is just *so wrong* on so many levels, but... well, since this IS our Getting Healthier, Getting Stronger Journey Together Journal, I felt the need to share this image. Taken today, by my sweet son, Cub. (Who had this "thing" today about taking lots of shots of Mom's Patootie... strange...)

OK- so maybe the IMAGE itself isn't so strange.
Yeah. No. Not so much-- it's pretty darn strange.

Sharing the image is pretty strange too, for someone who is a private person that tends to shun the camera... (Yep. I use Delete a LOT when photos of me happen to show up...)

But, well, there it is. I was really pretty darn happy to see this shot. My Patootie? It's really NOT four axe handles wide! In fact, the jeans have a tad of ROOM.

Yeah Man.

Got a bit to go in this journey still, but seeing that? Made me realize I *AM* making progress.

I am... Here... sorta

2009-12-22T14:45:00.003-06:00

After our torrential downpour that turned the clay slop of my property into soap (or, it felt like I was walking or driving on a bar of slippery soap!), I seem to have tweaked my knee. So, I am taking it easy. The flights of stairs here in the house are challenging enough when I absolutely must go up them. In fact, I've relented on only using the bathroom upstairs (a way to sneak in extra movement) and am using the kids' bathroom on the main floor. And I'm not going downstairs much to the bottom floor either (it's not really a basement. You'd have to see my house to understand).

Additionally, with the holidays upon us, I seem to have gotten super-duper busy although we're not going anywhere and the only family coming here is Doodle, my step-daughter, who is flying in from Upstate NY for a visit. However, as we all know, life doesn't stop on a hobby farm for holidays, a little rain, tweaked knees or really bad colds.

For a week I've been really exhausted. Just tired and drained, yet I can't seem to fall asleep when I try to nap. I really haven't gotten my rear up off the couch for anything besides chores or necessary shopping. Then to top it off, my TOM started yesterday and kicked in with cramps from HELL. You know, the kind that shoot down into your thighs and leave you a quivering, jellied mass of pain wishing for the sweet release of death because OTC meds aren't working and anything stronger leaves you unable to function? Yeah, those.

Now, I know I'm justifying my laziness here. However, I recognize that. And I'm a big girl and I take responsibility for it. In my head, there really isn't an excuse for excuses. But, I decided that since it's my birthday week and I can do whatever I like. Ok, it's my birthday week only IF you start your weeks on Monday and they end on Sunday. Otherwise, I really shouldn't claim this week, but I'm not claiming next week as my birthday will be over by Monday, right?

Anyways, enough of the justifications, ramblings and lazy talk!

There ARE things in the works this week that require me to do physical stuffs. I'm aware of what some of my birthday presents/ Xmas presents are and they don't fit under the tree or in my barn as it is right now or anywhere else on the property for that matter. I'm not going to share yet because not everything has fallen into place quite yet and celebration events haven't occurred quite yet. So, ya'll will have to wait for the big reveal later. But needless to say, I'm really busy and really, really stoked!

Cowboys Love Fat Calves

Rant

Now That The Resolutions Are Waining

Being an Angel

Wow

It was a trainwreck...

The Fruit of the Dead, but its good for you!

Reboot time

What the twit said

October Orthodox Calendar

Time to Get Serious -- The Orthodox Diet

Feeling Fat and Depressed Because of a Friend

How many times

Day 38

Another Progress Check!

The Wagon

Things I've Learned

9.5#

My First Curves Measure Day...

Day 18

Go Figure...

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Well, Hello Again.

Just Do It

Holy Cow.. *pantpantpant*

Forever Ago

Don't have a cow man

Reality - a dish best served cold

Changing

On pins & needles

Learning Curve

So, I lied...

The First Day

Self Sabotage

New Beginnings

Keeping active in the winter

Put Down the Pumpkin Bread, and Back Away SLOWLY!

Just Beat

So...um... hi...! *waves*

Yes! We Have MOTION!

Do We See A Chance of WALKING?

Did You Hear the SCRREEEEEEEEECH-ing to a Halt?

Day Three Update

I'm still here!!

The Plan

Fit At 40?

My 10% Life

Here!

Ch...Ch...Ch..CHANGES...

You Know You've Gone Too Long When....

Gotta make some changes

I Like To Move It, Move It!! ... MOVE IT!!!!

I Did It!

Y'all Will Be Proud Of Me

Keepin' on keepin' on

Not sure how it happened

Yummy Treat

Guilt and Disappointment

This one's for you, Mrs. Mom!

Ugh- I Saw A Picture of Me Today

Question

C-R-A-V-I-N-G-S

Trying to find balance

Good News - Bad News

I Had A Blog Post...

Well Now...

W-I-L-L P-O-W-E-R....

The colours of the rainbow and an update

Calling My Fellow Bloggers...

Confession Is Good For The Soul

Passing Along...

'Bout time for an update...

Not much going on around these parts...

Name Change... We're Now "The Asylum"

It's Awfully Quiet Here!

Eggplant Pizzas

I should've also mentioned

Scribbles

I Am Alive!

Food - The Next Frontier

Holy Cow.. pantpantpant

So...um... hi...! waves