Searching for my inner thinner self

Happy 2011

2011-01-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. --Dale Carnegie

Weigh in this morning - 233.4. Almost 20 pounds over my weight when I last stalled during this current weight loss effort. I'm ready to jump start this trek toward success ... yet again.

Break Time

2010-10-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

Taking a blog break. I'll still be checking in on your blogs periodically and wish you all good luck in your journeys. As my governor once said, "I'll be back."

Hungry

2010-09-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

What am I hungry for? I have a seemingly endless hunger that I've (unfortunately) been trying to fill with food. :( Boredom, perhaps? Yep ... work is slow. And I'm not thrilled to be there regardless. But I'm glad to have a job especially when I see friends (who are also middle-aged) struggling in the current job market. Decision deadlock? That could be contributing to the hunger. Should I buy a new car? Should I look for a new job? Should I think about moving? The lack of a relationship or even the potential for a relationship? Another item that's contributing to that feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Too many questions and answers that don't come as quickly as opening a bag of chips. NOT that it works in the long-term (and even in the short-term it's questionable.

As you can guess, I continue to struggle food-wise. But am doing pretty well exercise-wise. In fact, a friend and I have begun getting together around exercise instead of the usual getting together around food. At least once a week, we meet at a local park and walk and talk. (And truthfully usually do end up getting something to eat, but at least there's some exercise in the mix.) I'm looking forward to my walk with her later today.

And, in the meantime, I will continue to work on my non-food related hunger.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Exercise with a purpose

2010-09-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Isn't it interesting that so many of us walk, run or cycle to get some exercise and then come home, get in the car to drive a short distance? This morning I was in San Diego (after spending a delightful Sunday watching the Giants pounce the Padres) with a flight mid-morning. I had planned to take the hotel shuttle to the airport this morning. Instead, I checked my iPhone and it looked like the airport was about 3 miles from the airport. 3 miles along the lovely San Diego waterfront.

So I set off this morning in plenty of time to make my flight. I had a smallish duffle on wheels (and BTW, what a great invention those wheels on luggage are!), my backpack purse and my tennies. Plus it was terrific (as usual) San Diego weather. So I was set.

The funny thing was the number of cabs that stopped or gave me a high sign thinking that I must need a ride. I probably looked a little goofy with work clothes, tennies and pulling my duffle, but it sure felt good to kill two birds with one stone -- getting to the airport and getting some exercise. Thankfully, San Diego had sidewalks all the way to the airport (I was nervous about navigating some streets, but it didn't come to that). And, I think the distance predicted by the iPhone was a little short once I got inside the airport and to the terminal.

Unfortunately, I live in suburbia, which is much more geared to cars. But I can and will make it a point to walk more often at least to the grocery store.

I continue to struggle somewhat with eating (I had out-of-town guests this weekend, two birthday parties, yesterday's ballgame and probably a whole lot of other excuses), but I'm not giving up. I can't. All I can do is hang in there and start again!

Happy Monday.

Petco Park - a gorgeous place to watch some pennant race baseball

With a view like this, who wouldn't want to walk (even schlepping luggage)

Outta shape

2010-09-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

I was in beautiful Lake Tahoe over the weekend. I took my bike along and enjoyed a ride along the above bike trail. Unfortunately, the hiatus from bicycling was felt big time by my thighs. Ouch. I didn't go very far, but I was reminded how much I enjoy bike riding. I've got to take the bike out more oftenso my thighs don't scream at me when I try a short ride. Any little incline caused me to stop, get off and push the bike for a while. Little kids on teeny bikes with training wheels could keep pedaling when I couldn't. My second day at Tahoe, I went for a walk. It's such a beautiful spot that I often wonder if I had similar views in the town where I live, would I want to be outside exercising more.

Happy hump day everyone. Glad it's a short week.

Hot weather, Mexican food and socializing

2010-09-03T12:35:00.001-07:00

These are my challenges this week. The hot weather makes it tough to walk outside (which is my exercise of choice). But I'm not complaining. Northern California has had an extraordinarily mild summer. We were just bound to get a few days of 100+ degrees which hit this week. And I have managed in spite of the heat. I just suspect I would have gotten more steps in if it had remained mild.

Mexican food is my downfall. Last night I went for Mexican and ordered a salad with shrimp and grilled veggies. Yummy. But oh so spicy. So spicy (and I actually like spicy) I couldn't eat much of it. So I turned to the guac and chips. (In hindsight, they probably shouldn't have been on the table, but hindsight is 20-20 after all.) And socializing. I met friends on Wednesday and failed in my no alcohol goal by having two cocktails. I did forego the margarita last night, which I'm counting in the plus column.

I'm still journaling, getting water in, moving (just not as much as I'd like). The long weekend ahead makes me a bit nervous, but I'll be out of town, so hopefully that will prevent the grazing that often comes with weekends. Plus I'm taking my bike. Which, along with some walking, should ensure some activity points.

Have a terrific long weekend!

UGH!!

2010-08-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Doing everything I'm supposed to do and I gained weight this week. :( I exercised regularly (definitely need to increase it to more than 4 days obviously); I journaled everything eaten (including my 20 point crab sandwich yesterday and 21 point breakfast on Saturday). I drank water (altho truthfully that faltered on the weekend. And I went to Weight Watchers.

What I learned is I can't eat all my weekly and/or activity points. And I need to gin up the exercise. Despite the set-back on the scale, I'm still marching forward. This week I'm giving up alcohol. And getting water in ... even on the weekend.

Pics from my weekend. I did the Race for the Arts 5K and on Sunday hit a Giants game.

Race Start/Finish Line

Rock garden in the park where the race was held

McCovey Cove (where boaters/kayakers wait for "splash hits" - homeruns hit into San Francisco Bay)

TGIF

2010-08-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

So far, it's been a good week. Attend WW meeting - check. Water - check. Exercise at least 4 times - check (I've done 3 already and am doing a 5K for the local arts community tomorrow). Fruits and veggies - check.

I've also journaled everyday. And what a terrific tool that is (see my last post re eating too much). I've already filled out my journal for the rest of today (cosmopolitan, hot dog and french fries - going to a baseball game with happy hour first, hence the odd combo). And I even have the points left for this evening's meal due to eating well (aka point friendly) at breakfast and lunch. I've counted chips and crackers into single-serving baggies rather than eye-balling it ... which usually results in the entire box/bag counting as one.

I feel good! I need to remember this in-control feeling. It actually feels better than gorging on chips tastes. But my memory is shot so I need to figure out how to remember this.

TGIF!!

I eat too much

2010-08-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

But that's a given. You don't get to 271 pounds by eating sensibly. Now that I'm back on track (mostly) and have been diligent about tracking my meals, I'm surprised that each day I'm over my alloted points. I have friends on WW maintenance who only get 18 points a day. Yikes! I get 31 points and am really struggling to stay within that limit. Each day I eat what I think is within my points. The journal each day shows otherwise. At least I'm generally making good food choices (and I'm not over by scads). Just too many of 'em.

On the exercise front, I was really bummed to miss the water aerobics class tonite due to work. There was a time I would have been thrilled to have an excuse (especially a "good" excuse like work) to miss exercising. I'm taking this as another positive.

Hope everyone is had a good hump day.

Gym Vibe

2010-08-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's finally turned HOT in northern California (we've had an unusually mild summer) so rather than going for a walk, I went to water aerobics last night. I generally meet a friend for after work walking or water aerobics (on hot days) and due to her schedule we had to go to a gym (I'm a member of 24 Hour Fitness so have a few choices in the Sacramento area) that isn't our usual.

I actually enjoyed myself last night. There is a different vibe at the location we went to versus the two that we usually hit. It's bigger and newer. And the huge ceiling fans over the treadmills are oh so helpful on a hot evening. I walked for 20 minutes on the treadmill and then hit water aerobics. The instructor was really energetic and used loud music. It was fun! The first time I looked at the clock was 40 minutes into the class. Other classes have me watching the clock within the first 5 minutes.

Who knew that switching up a gym location could help with my attitude re exercise. I'm planning to go back tonite. No class, but I'll walk on the treadmill and then run in the pool (thank goodness for a waterproof case for the iPod!).

I'm still struggling somewhat re food choices. But the gym location I'm hitting tonite is close to a Trader Joe's. Hopefully stocking up on healthy choices will help in that regard.

Hope you're all staying cool during this hot summer.

Start. Stop. Start Again.

2010-08-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

As long as I always start again after stopping, I figure all is not lost. Two weeks ago I rejoined Weight Watchers with one friend. Each week brings more people to the meeting that I know from our Weight Watchers at Work. I think the added accountability that comes with knowing more people in the meeting is good for me (maybe I'm a bit competitive in this). I haven't been great (in fact I gained a pound last week and this weekend has been a challenge), but I'm feeling that this journey is getting back on track (healthier choices one-by-one) after a hiatus.

More to follow ...

If it matters, measure it

2010-06-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

In the health care world (where I spend my days), the term "if it matters, measure it" is a key component of reducing medical errors. Studies show that if health facilities keep track of simple things such as hand washing and sponges used in surgeries, the number of medical errors attributed those items will be reduced. I was reminded of this simple concept this week when I began wearing my pedometer again after leaving it on my dresser for many weeks.

Having the pedometer on helped me be cognizant of my steps and general activity. And guess what ... my activity improved significantly.

This week I plan to take the "if it matters, measure it" concept one step further. Journaling food is on the agenda this week. If I'm as successful with the food as I have been with the steps, I'll be on my way.

One final (albeit depressing) measurement ... I finally got on the scales this week and it registered 227.6 - a 13 pound gain during my dark period.

Have a terrific week ... and don't forget to measure activity and food!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Greeting from Sacramento ... the River City

Sacramento River

Remember me???

2010-06-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

No news in weight loss blogland generally means bad news. My absence is no different. I haven't been exercising consistently. I've been eating crap. I think EVERY DAY about getting back on the stick ... both with the healthy habits and the blogging. But then another day and another evening of mindless grazing coupled with internet browsing and crap TV viewing has passed me by. And, as much as I enjoy the garbage food and garbage activities, they're just not working for me any more. And I'm sure they're going to be working even LESS for me in another 10 or 20 years.

In addition to dusting off the blog, I:

re-upped with my therapist to deal more diligently with the whys of my overeating aka self-medicating.

have already put in 9000 steps today thanks to a LONG walk

had a salad for lunch.

The return to blogging (and I have popped in periodically on several of you ... dang ... we do share the same struggles, don't we??) and the above represent my putting my toe back in the waters of healthy living. I hope tomorrow has me wading in the waters rather than just tentatively testing them!

More Whys and More TV Therapy

2010-01-30T10:09:00.000-08:00

The tv show providing my therapy today is What Not to Wear (LOVE Stacey and Clinton). So many of the people getting the makeovers start the show with self esteem issues. A couple today have even gone as far to talk about how they dress poorly to "keep people away." They (as I do) have a little push-pull on this keeping people away thing. They want to keep them away, but also crave relationships, etc.

I think this is my why (at least one of them) for covering feelings with food. It's to keep people away. No people getting close = no hurt. It also equals no joy. As Dr. Phil would say (how obvious is it that I watch too much TV?) "how's that working for you?" I think it's worked for a long time. But it's not working now. The "no hurt" is no longer more important than "no joy."

I'm not sure how to improve my self esteem issues. But I'm ready and willing to work on 'em. Clearly I have a lot more work to do both on the food/exercise front and on the delving deep front.

The WHYS

2010-01-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

I recently watched an Oprah episode (I sometimes feel Oprah is my own personal therapist) that has me thinking a lot about WHY I have such a convuluted relationship with food. The episode focused on three people with different but life threatening behaviors who all got help after having an intervention (as part of the TV show Intervention).

The first man was "eating himself to death." After his intervention, he began to work on his behavior and lost more than half of himself (he was well over 500 pounds to start). As part of his two year plus journey to lose weight he discovered he was eating to cover up the secret that he was gay. Another young man was addicted to heroin and coke and after his intervention and through his journey to become clean and sober he realized and expressed the guilt he was covering up for being one of the jocks that bullied and were so hated by the Columbine killers.

I believe getting to the underlying reasons for my screwed up relationship with food is absolutely key to success. My own whys seem less clear than those individuals on Oprah. Although I know loneliness is a big part of it. Friday night(s) I often have a pity party and feel I "deserve" snacks and sweets since I'm sitting home alone. Friday is the night to go out. To spend time with loved ones. I know food provides a substitute. Of course, I haven't always been so acutely aware of my loneliness. So this may be the why for now. On the flip side, when I do have Friday night plans, it's a reason to celebrate with alcohol and good food. Sheesh ... maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to treat myself. But why?!

Beyond the loneliness, I have to wonder if there's a more fundamental reason - like the guilt or sexuality of those on Oprah - for me overeating.

For the past couple of weeks, I've been much better food-wise, but worse exercise-wise. My current goal is to put the two healthy habits -- food and exercise -- together! I'm trying to work on changing my mindset to go to the gym or to take a walk when I feel lonely. Exercise - like food - always makes me feel better. And the feeling isn't as fleeting or accompanied by guilt like my pity party food.

Habits since childhood

2010-01-18T17:52:00.001-08:00

I went for a walk today despite the pouring rain. I've always enjoyed walking in the rain (as long as it's not too miserable with the cold and wind). In thinking about this during my walk today, I suspect this stems from my childhood when I lived in very temperate climates and it was very normal to remain outside during rainstorms.

Unfortunately, many of the food habits I learned in childhood do not benefit me in the same way as playing - or walkking -- in the rain. My childhood diet (as a picky kid) was high in processed carbs. Still my go-to food. Crackers, bread, chips, etc. remain my holy grail. Feeling sick? I gravitate to saltines and carbonated drinks.

I'm continuing to struggle with getting my eating under better control. I need to remember that being a little bit hungry (or a little bit unsatisfied) isn't necessarily a bad thing.

A mixed bag

2010-01-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

Last week was a mixed bag relative to my goals. Due to bronchitis, I didn't get as much exercise in as I would have liked. But I have been consistent since the end of the week (when the coughing abated). And I stole an idea that I read about a while ago in blogland. Rather than meeting friends for a meal, I had two get-togethers with friends this weekend and we walked rather than ate. Visiting while walking is even more fun than visiting over a meal.

I logged my food more often than not, but still have a ways to go in this regard. I did discover (another blogland suggestion) the iPhone/iPod Touch LoseIt! application for logging food. I am still debating about rejoining Weight Watchers so this application is a great tool to use until I rejoin and start using eTools. I also ate veggies more often than my recent usual, but had a few times when they were sorely lacking. Most notably one evening when I was feeling lousy (the bronchitis) and Saturday (why oh why are weekends so difficult?).

During the Christmas break, I saw an easy peasy veggie recipe on TV that I've been using often (thank you Kelly Ripa). It's a great alternative to salads. Roasting butternut squash, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and walnuts (the walnuts are the key ingredient in my opinion). Just toss the above ingredients with olive oil and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until the veggies begin to brown.

I managed 64 ounces of water most days (again the weekend was my downfall). And, finally I made calls last week about volunteering at our local VA hospital and at a nearby wildlife refuge.

I want to repeat these goals again this week and plan that my exercise will be up to par now that I'm feeling better. I'm planning to sleep in my exercise clothes (a strategy that worked for me last year) so I can make it to the gym before work. And I plan to get back on my trainer's schedule.

I hope everyone had a good weekend!

I gotta get a hobby

2010-01-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the answer is a plain as day but we don't see it. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm bored. And boredom leads to eating. Not to mention eating goes so well with all those things you do when bored (watching TV, for example).

My boredom stems a lot from my job. A couple of years ago, I had a very high-pressure job that I loved but one that allowed me precious little time or energy for anything else. To alleviate the stress of that job, I changed to one that is often boring (but that comes with much less stress and allows much more personal time). (I wish I knew where the middle ground is.) In talking to a colleague yesterday, he asked if I'd picked up any new hobbies now that I'm in my current job and that part of my life has changed. Duh! To help combat my boredom, I need a new hobby. Or I need to volunteer.

I added my weekly goals to my sidebar and included this one this week in an effort to help combat boredom. Being busier and less bored will only help with all aspects of my life ... including my poor eating habits.

I just don't understand why I didn't think of this myself rather than merely whining about boredom. :)

PS - Thank you (!!) for the encouragement in my restarting this journey. It is most appreciated.

Postcard from the Edge

2010-01-05T12:33:00.001-08:00

(With apologies to Carrie Fisher for stealing her great title.)

I'm back from the edge of the abyss (although truth be told, I was beyond the edge). I've spent the last couple of months feeling very blah including about my diet and exercise. I've had a couple of false starts getting back into the exercise routine, but the holidays, travel, weather, time off and sickness wrecked havoc. And my eating has not been great for quite a while. During the last part of the holidays I fell completely off the edge diet-wise. Fudge and candied pecans and lots of salty goodness oh my!!

For a while I've thought about throwing in the towel. Why does it matter if I'm obese? I'm bored (and probably boring) and lonely and crabby. And writing that last sentence I have no idea why I still feel the pull to NOT throw in the towel. To restart this journey ... once again. So here I am. Restarting. Trying hard to walk away from the abyss.

I meant to weigh myself yesterday morning and this morning so I could include my restart weight as part of this renewed effort. But it appears I've lost all weight loss habits ... including weighing myself. During the Christmas break, I stepped on the scale and was somewhat pleasantly surprised to see my weight was up about 5 pounds (I thought it would have been more). I suspect it went up higher than that but hopefully I will remember to weigh tomorrow.

I need to re-habit (is that a word?) lots of other things ... wearing my pedometer (note to self: get a new battery) and/or bodybugg, journaling what I eat, going back to WW meetings, eating less (especially eating less SUGAR), and moving more!

Climbing out of the abyss and moving away from the edge one small step at a time ...

What I learned while eating pasta and drinking red wine

2009-10-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

The food in Italy was amazing and as I mentioned in my last post, I did not see any obese Italian people (a few slightly overweight elderly people but that was it when it came to weight problems). For lunch and dinner, the Italians eat three to four course meals. Antipasto which often consisted of bruschetta or caprese. (And I must digress since I thought I came from the tomato capitol (Sacramento) of the world. The tomatoes in Italy are still yummy. Here we've moved from the yummy ones available in the summer to the less flavorful.) Then came a pasta course complete with sauce (sometimes cream sauces). Then a small piece of beef or chicken and often potatoes. And don't forget the gelato ... there's no scrimping on dessert. And red wine was served at both lunch and dinner.

How do Italians eat like this and maintain their weight? I suspect they move more as part of their everyday life (walking and biking), but I've been thinking that it might have more to do with the lack of processed foods in their diet. All the food we ate was "real." Sometimes it was high-calorie, but it wasn't processed. For example, the only salad dressings used are olive oil and vinegar. Butter and cream are definitely part of their diet. Those potatoes that were often part of the secondi piatti (second course) were often fried.

As the saying goes, "when in Rome do as the Romans do." I ate the same food as the Italians. But even I couldn't keep up with their quantity and so my friend and I often shared the antipasto and then would stop at that and the primi piatti (first course). Complete with the wine, of course. And, instead of the usual vacation weight gain, I came home down a couple of pounds. And my clothes are looser (I was able to wear a skirt that wouldn't go around me before I left). I'm also wondering if the more natural, albeit higher calorie, diet helped with my water retention.

The pictures below are from Rome (inside the Vatican Museum; St. Peter's; and the Colisseum). All awesome sights to see in person.

Where I wish I was right now

2009-10-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Amalfi Coast in Italy. More about vacation and vacation food and drink coming soon.

Buono Sera

2009-10-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Italy. It was an AWESOME vacation, but I am glad to be home. Here are a few pictures from Venice. I loved the one of the farmer's market on a gondola. Only in Venice.

I've got a lot of catching up to do, but just want to mention that while I was gone I observed obesity truly is an American problem. I didn't see any obese Italians and I don't understand that based on how they eat! Three and four course meals for lunch and dinner complete with wine?! Although I must admit I enjoyed every bite and drink!

Now it's back to reality. Hope everyone has had a good couple of weeks! I'll look forward to visiting your blogs over the next couple of days.

Ciao

2009-10-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

I did the 7K Bridge to Bridge Fun Run in San Francisco today (walking from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate). Between the fun run (which I walk per usual) and getting to and from the starting line and the car and other wanderings, I managed to get 7 miles on the pedometer today.

I'm still doing well exercise-wise, and struggle a bit with the food side of the equation. But I haven't fallen completely off the wagon. I just need to rein in my grazing tendencies, especially on weekends.

The next pictures I post will be from Italia. I can't wait! Ciao for now.

Catch up post

2009-09-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

This has been a good week exercise-wise and an ok week food-wise. I've stepped up the exercise by adding distance/time to my morning walks. And I've been making an effort to move more during the day (a walk around the block a couple of times a day). And I'm still working out with my trainer. Tonight's workout was especially difficult (and came after I walked to the gym, rushing the last half mile or so since I was running late). My legs still feel rubbery. I feel really good about these efforts.

I had one really bad meal this week (fish 'n chips). I think my inner brat just acted especially bratty that day and ordered that meal. Despite many other choices on the menu. Choices that I would have enjoyed more. I felt really crappy after ingesting all that grease. I hope I remember how I felt afterwards next time I'm tempted. I did get right back on track the next day. I had to work really hard to not let that one meal begin a downward slide.

I remain frustrated that my weight isn't going down. I truly feel stuck but know I am still eating too much sodium.

My boss is just a little bit nuts and makes my life miserable now and then. This has been one of those weeks. After a difficult day with her today, I did find that the walk/workout tonight pushed my obsession about work to the back of my mind.

I am NOT enjoying the shorter days. It's so much nicer to walk in daylight. Altho in the evenings, it is nice that it's cooler when the sun goes down.

My good news ... I'm heading to Italy on vacation next month!

TGIF everyone!

Volunteer for California/International Coastal Cleanup Day

2009-09-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is California Coastal Cleanup Day, a part of the International Coastal Cleanup. This volunteer event focuses on cleaning up the marine environment that many of us enjoy as part of our regular exercise venues. Last year in California, more than 70,000 volunteers worked together to collect more than 1.6 MILLION pounds of trash and recyclables from our beaches, lakes, and waterways.

Sacramento has a wonderful 30-mile bike trail along the American River. This is my favorite spot for bike riding and walking and in my younger days I spent a lot of time rafting the river. So, I'm volunteering tomorrow to help clean up a part of this trail. I'm sure there are similar volunteer opportunities in your community.

Coincidentally, Hanlie posted a moving video about leaving the planet in better shape than we found it. Volunteering tomorrow to clean up the waterways can be one step toward this goal.

(On a related note ... WHY WHY WHY do people think it's appropriate to toss their litter along the roads, waterways, etc.?? I'm appalled by the litter each morning when I walk in my neighborhood.)

Mental ... or physical?

2009-09-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Back in the day (WAY back) after a night of partying, I would reach for greasy food the next morning as an antidote. It provided comfort ... and seemed to truly make me feel better. A greasy hamburger was the best. Back in those days, I knew all the neaby greasy spoons and their hours.

I don't overindulge anymore. Way too old. But I did find myself working all day Friday into Saturday morning (at 6:30 am). After just an hour's sleep (I had a hair appointment) I found myself in the McDonald's drive-through. I have many many bad habits to break in this healthy journey thing, but fast food isn't one of them. But on a morning when I FELT like I had partied all night (but it was all tiredness this time around), grease seemed to be the answer.

I've been wondering if the desire for a McDonald's breakfast was based on a long ago memory, a mental need for comfort or some actual physical need. Or maybe a combination of all three.

In addition to McDonald's, my eating has had a flew slips over the last week. But my exercise has been very consistent. Thankfully, I've had some flexibility in my work schedule recently so I can still get in some exercise (including meeting with my trainer) in the morning. I already miss the LONG days of summer. The darker mornings make it tougher to get an early start on a walk.

Have a good end of the week everyone!

I faced the music ...

2009-09-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

... and it wasn't all bad!

I went back to the gym today. I actually even went TWICE. I went this morning to walk on the treadmill (when did it get so dark in the mornings?) and then this evening I had an appointment with my trainer, Sean. And I even added to the exercise total by walking to and from the gym (total steps today more than 17,000) this evening.

After thinking about my latest struggles, I realize I was feeling discouraged. I was right on target with diet and exercise for a few weeks and the scale didn't budge. At all. So I think that frustration contributed to my latest struggle (basically saying screw it to this whole healthy journey thing).

Come to find out, there may be a reason for the scale not moving - sodium! I eat a fair amount of processed foods (it's easy and convenient) ... and that's worked for me for a long time. Plus I love salty foods (and adding salt to some foods). Sean believes that, while that worked once, my body is now hanging on to water due to the sodium. And he basically proved his theory. He measured me tonight and I've lost inches everywhere except my calves (which he believes is where the water retention is most prevalent). And I've lost body fat! So ... while the scale at the gym reflected a gain of 4 pounds, I'm pleased with the loss of inches/body fat. And, from everything I've read, plateaus are a signal to mix up things diet-wise. So ... I'm counting/watching sodium intake. And I am going to use fewer processed foods (and I've already cut the chips with all their tasty salt out ... at least temporarily).

It felt good to get another good workout in today. And thank you ... for reminding me that stumbles are part of this journey.

Confession time

2009-09-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

My exercise has dropped from regular to seldom.

My eating habits have deteriorated such that twice over the long weekend, I ate so much I was miserable. (It had been AGES since I last felt that way.) In addition to being miserable due to the quantity of food, the quality (Mexican including margaritas at one meal and pasta with cream sauce and lots of bread at another) wasn't far behind.

Blogging, like exercise, has dropped to seldom from regular. Ditto with reading other blogs and commenting.

I haven't met with my trainer in ages.

I'm not wearing my bodybugg. And only wearing my pedometer once in a while.

I was embarrassed to talk about these failures here on the blog because I've written about them for months now! For whatever reason, I'm struggling to get my head back in this game. Thankfully I realized that who better to understand my struggles than all of you?! Clearly we all have a shared experience relative to being overweight and working to lose the excess. But then my mind goes to the fact that at least some bloggers are consistent and successful. It seems I'm either competitive and want to "win" or I just quit. Pack up my toys and head for home without a word. As Dr. Phil would say "how's that working for you?" Well ... it's not. It's not working regarding weight loss and it hasn't served me well in other areas of my life either. I guess confession or admitting I have a problem is the first step? I hope so. I also hope steps 2, 3, 4 fall in place behind step #1.

My penance:

Calling my trainer and scheduling a session. Check! (I have an appointment tomorrow evening.)

Buying and preparing healthy food. Check! (Even tho I have more to do, I can get by a day or two with some healthy items.)

Blog! Check! :)

Join Confessions from a former fat boy's Project 31. Like Liz's current 30-day challenge, the idea is that we can establish (re-establish in my case!) good habits in 30 days. Check! My 31-day challenge is to exercise every single day. And by exercise, I don't mean counting shopping for exercise (despite the many many steps).

I suspect I will continue to mis-step along this journey. But packing up my toys and heading for home isn't an option. I won't win this race, but I plan -- sometime -- to cross the finish line.

Thank you ... and going cold turkey

2009-08-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you thank you thank you! I love this blogging community and how you all have just the right words to help me when I'm struggling. I know it's because we all share the same challenges and I'm very grateful.

I'm continuing to struggle food-wise, but have a couple of plans. First, I heard from an old friend (who has moved out of the area) who wants to do a diet tip of the day "club." Having the additional check-in with her and a couple of other friends will help (in addition to my check-ins here).

So this week's plan is to go cold turkey on a couple of items. First - chips. I've been buying "good" chips such as baked lays and soy or rice crisps. The problem is I don't know when to say when. So my portions end up being huge. So -- as of today, I'm going cold turkey on chips.

The second item that I'm going cold turkey on are the addicting games on Face Book. What a time suck to harvest fields and plant crops (aka Farm Town). I don't want to turn off the computer since I gain so much from all your blogs, but I need to be doing something -- anything -- rather than spending so much time on the computer. Instead of harvesting virtual crops I could be doing work in my real yard. And that would burn a few more calories than sitting in front of a computer screen burns.

Have a good week! And thanks again!!

Dog days of summer

2009-08-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

I've got a bad case of the blahs (hence my recent break from blogging). I can't even point to why I'm feeling so blah ... so I guess it's just the dog days of summer.

My exercise has definitely fallen off and I'm struggling to not feed the blahs with food. The relatively good news about this journey is that my pantry/fridge are lacking what once were my comfort foods. So while I'm eating too much and not doing a good job journaling, the choices are better than what they would have been once upon a time.

I've got to work on shaking off the blahs. I have still been reading your blogs and gaining motivation and inspiration (just not quite enough unfortunately to shake me out of this fog).

This too shall pass!

Restaurant calories

2009-08-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Back in September, I blogged about California's new law that requires restaurants (with 20 or more locations) to provide brochures with nutritional information by July 1, 2009 and to include calories on menus by 2011. On Friday I went to lunch at one of my favorites, California Pizza Kitchen. My favorite item on their menu - the BBQ chicken salad - has 1392 calories. By comparison I could have had their sticky coffee cake with ice cream for only 527 calories. Interesting! My lunch choice was a slice and a half of the tostado pizza for 360 calories along with their tortilla soup for 271 calories.

The new law does provide information that makes me at least stop and think.

This 'n that

2009-07-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

My plan to avoid/reduce sugar is HARD! It seems there is sugar in EVERYTHING. I have successfully avoided my nightly ice cream and other treats like that, but in my obsessive label reading this week, I'm shocked at the amount of sugar in the foods that I eat regularly. For example, 8 grams of sugar in Special K crackers (despite them only having 90 calories); 7 grams of sugar in a Lean Cuisine that I particularly like (and now I know why); 8 grams of sugar in instant oatmeal. I know that "diet" foods add sugar to help with the taste of low-fat items. The good news is I'm at least aware of this issue and reading more labels. So I have to think that will result in reduced sugar intake.

I continue to appreciate my workouts with my trainer, Sean. I should have done this long ago and definitely recommend working with a trainer. It's very helpful to have Sean right by my side to correct my form, provide instruction, etc. Coincidentally, when I moved to this neighborhood, I actually avoided joining the gym for a few years. The gym is about 1.5 miles from my house and I used to say if I just walked to the gym, I wouldn't need to join/use it. Fast forward to today and I walk to and from the gym and workout with Sean while I'm there. Truthfully, the walk home is often SLOW. All in all, I'm feeling pretty good about the workouts.

I continue to struggle a bit with alcohol in social situations. But I'm trying very hard to limit it to one light beer (100 - 150 calories sure beats the 800 or so that can be in one large, fruity margarita). This one light beer strategy worked yesterday at the Giants game. Despite the alcohol/food pusher friends who attended the game with me.

If this healthy journey thing was easy, there would be no overweight people. So as the saying goes, I've picked my hard and eating better and moving more is it! Good luck with your journeys/specific challenges.

Is sugar my problem?

2009-07-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've been losing and regaining the same half pound since I recommitted to losing weight a few weeks ago. I can't figure it out! I'm tracking. I'm exercising (even more than usual due to working with a trainer). I'm (or at least I thought I was) making good food choices. I'm attending WW meetings. I'm eating within my points.

Today in my WW meeting, the leader talked about how sugar in processed foods -- even in amounts that fit into the WW program (!!) -- sabatoged his weight loss efforts. Could this be my problem? He suggested that sugar be limited to less than 16 grams per day. I make the effort to allow dessert at least every day. These are WW or "diet" desserts. But clearly they contain sugar. What worked for the leader was to avoid sugar except for once a week when he was allowed a splurge. He feels my (and other attendees) daily, almost-constant sugar is messing with our weight loss efforts.

So, my experiment this week is to avoid sugar as a daily item. Interestingly, several of us WWers having been snacking on fortune cookie chips (those that don't make it into a cookie). A serving is only 70 calories or 1 point. But a serving contains 8 grams of sugar! Half what the leader suggested today as a limit.

I know I'm getting sugar in a number of foods (case in point, the salad dressing I had for lunch today), but I'm going to work at keeping most of it to once a week rather than every day. My nightly ice cream habit (low-fat, no sugar added ice cream) will be on hiatus this week.

From other reading I've done, it appears that the fake sugar that I'm so fond of in my Diet Cokes, can also mess with your body/weight loss efforts. But I'm taking this one step at a time and tackling just real sugar this week.

Have a good Monday everyone.

My excuses pale ...

2009-07-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

This morning I got up ready for a walk but started to talk myself out of it. I've just returned from a long weekend at Lake Tahoe where I did LOTS of walking (primarily around a gorgeous golf course as I was a volunteer at the celebrity golf tournament). So in addition to being tired, I was feeling a little whiney as I don't have any gorgeous vistas to enjoy and instead am back to concrete and suburbia.

I did get out walking regardless and came across another walker. A man about my age who I've seen walking in the neighborhood before. He's been using a walker and looks like he may be recuperating from a stroke. Today he was walking unassisted albeit rather slowly.

Did my lousy excuses (especially the one about the no views) seem even lousier and even lamer when I think that this man is probably grateful to be able to walk at all? And he's diligent about walking as I see him often around the neighborhood, even though it's obviously a struggle for him.

In addition to this morning's walk, I walked to and from the gym this evening and spent 50 minutes with my trainer. I'm motivated to work off some of the food/drink excesses from the weekend.

Pictures are from gorgeous Lake Tahoe. The deck with the umbrellas is my favorite restaurant. The one known for its fried zucchini and its vistas of the lake and the Sierra Nevada mountains. The boats are docked right along the 17th hole at Edgewood Golf Course for a primo view -- and very much a party atmosphere -- at the tournament.

I hope everyone has as good a weekend as I did!

In honor of tonight's baseball All-Star Game, a quick "touch base" post

2009-07-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

I continue to do well with eating and activity so I'm running with this newfound motivation. The bodybugg is terrific and is motivating me to be much better about journaling my food (and who knew -- I was eating MUCH more than my daily calorie - or point - allowance). I'm "enjoying" working out with my trainer, Sean. The quotes are because I do NOT enjoy it while I'm doing it. I hate it while I'm doing it. But it feels good when I'm done.

I'm leaving Thursday morning for a long weekend at Lake Tahoe. And I'm going to plan ahead and use one of the suggestions Liz left in one of her comments. I'm writing down my plan in my blackberry for easy reference. Lunch on Thursday is at my very favorite restaurant on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. They do fabulous fried zucchini. I'm having the zucchini and I plan to enjoy every bite. I'm going to limit my cocktail at this lunch to one drink after lunch (rather than starting before lunch -- that just ensures I get too many calories via alcohol). I will make good choices at the other meals. And there will be lots of walking (in the high altitude that I'm NOT accustomed to, I might add).

Have a great week everyone. And just wait till next year, National League team fans!

Good things

2009-07-13T21:11:00.001-07:00

(And now I can't get the ancient Paul Revere and the Raiders song of the same name out of my head.)

I feel like I'm doing well recently on this healthy journey and can attribute that to a couple of good things (as the song goes). It's only been a few days, but I love the BodyBugg! It's very cool watching my graphs each day (calories consumed and calories burned) and striving to make the calorie deficit as big as possible. In an effort to increase those calories burned, I've gone back to taking a few minutes a couple or three times a day and walking up and down the stairs in the building at work.

And, I really like my trainer. I feel like this is a good investment. He's developing a fitness program very much tailored to me. For example, I have a bulging disc in my back and so he's working on strengthening my back (and core) and not giving me exercises that will exacerbate that problem. He's even incorporating exercises that will help my golf game and ones that recognize my sedentary job.

I missed my WW weigh in today, but am going to try to at least weigh in officially later this week.

Hope you all had a marvy Monday. I'm pleased to report I started the day with a walk and then made the water aerobics class after work. Amazing how exercise contributes to a good day!

I'm a sucker for electronic gadgets

2009-07-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

I must be a salesperson's dream. I signed up for 11 personal training sessions last night. First one was tonight. And I bought the BodyBugg. I've read good things about it here in blogland. And it obviouly works for Biggest Loser contestants. (I just hope my trainer doensn't yell at me ala Jillian.) I do love all kinds of electronic gadgets (love love love my iPod, blackberry, Kindle, GPS, Nintendo DS and on and on) and I am doing my darndest to stimulate the economy. Hopefully the BodyBugg will work well in conjunction with my other efforts.

I also walked to and from the gym (a little over 3 miles total). I'm trying to figure out this weekend's walk or ride.

I've been on plan food-wise also this week. It really does help to not have social plans (although that's just no fun). As I've blogged about, I really do need to figure out eating and drinking in social situations. These events are not an excuse to go crazy food and drink-wise.

Hope your Friday was fantastic. Have a good weekend.

Thursday thoughts ...

2009-07-09T12:18:00.001-07:00

I went to water aerobics last night. We had a substitute so it wasn't quite as intense as usual (in other words, I didn't feel quite so wobbly on the half-mile walk back to my office and car), but it was still a good workout. I went to the farmer's market at lunch yesterday and loaded up on zucchini, onions, portabello mushrooms and some fruit. I avoided the kettle corn (man oh man -- I love kettle corn). I grilled lots of the veggies for dinner last night. Yum-oh (as RR would say).

I have an appointment with a personal trainer this evening at my gym (per Tisha's advice, I'm hoping he's hot to help with my motivation). :) I'm actually a little nervous about doing this trainer thing. I hope he considers my advanced age and lack of physical condition. :)

More good news ... Oroweat's sandwich thins(brand name Arnold's in other parts of the country) have finally made it to northern California. I love bread and I've been waiting for these 1-point wonders.

The bad/surprising news: I love salt and discovered (on a friend's recommendation) seasoned pepper (this is actually good news). Yum-oh. In addition to the above mentioned veggies, I also used the seasoned pepper on an avocado last night (waiting for the veggies to grill). 10 points for a whole avocado. I really did try to only eat half. Yikes. Oh well -- track it and move on.

Have a terrific Thursday.

Updated: Definitely in the good category is a giveaway - a gift card for Whole Foods!! Go check out Feed Me I'm Cranky's blog!

Looking for my mojo

2009-07-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Why is it so easy to fall off track? I was out of town over the long weekend and had a great time. It included good friends, good food (which for the most part included healthy choices on my part), spa treatments, too much tequila (ugh!), sunshine and pool time, fireworks, baseball. Unfortunately it did NOT include any activity. When I got back home Sunday evening, I was pooped. And I've used the "tired" card each day since.

So, I'm taking a page from other bloggers (like my pal, Tisha who has signed up for an intense physical challenge) and signing up with a personal trainer. I need the accountability. I need to be pushed. I need help.

I am planning on water aerobics tonight. The location of 24 Hour Fitness near my office (which is not the one I usually frequent) has water aerobics class that leaves my arms and legs feeling like jello. Constant moving for one hour. (I discovered this class during our last heat wave when exercising only seemed possible done in the water. Much to my surprise, I loved the class. Despite the intensity.)

I already feel better writing down my plan! Have a good day.

The power of a good Weight Watchers meeting

2009-06-29T14:28:00.001-07:00

I attended a different WW meeting today because it is more convenient for some of my coworkers (some of the group that was part of my WW at work before it folded). And I enjoyed it. The leader is great and the group is interactive. Plus I knew five other people in the meeting who are also great and interactive. Today's meeting invigorated me on this program. Yay for good meetings, good leaders and good fellow attendees.

At the meeting, one of my friends was telling me today about how he uses his iPhone (I gotta get one of those) to track his food on mobile.weightwatchers.com. Lo and behold (with his encouragement), I can do the same thing on my blackberry. I have no excuses now for not journaling.

Finally, another of my fellow WW-ers mentioned the sandwich/salad joint that we frequent here has nutritional info on-line. I had never checked since it's a local place rather than a chain. Since it's definitely one of my go-to lunch places, this is good to know.

I love blogging for the great community, encouragement, advice and tips. Today I found some of those same attributes in my real-world WWers. Clearly I need to get off the internet and out in the real world more. :)

(It's still hot here, but my AC problem was minor. Yippee.)

It's too hot to eat

2009-06-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Summer arrived in northern California this week with a bang. It's 8:30 pm and it's still over 100 degrees. And my air conditioner isn't working as well as it should (I have an appointment for repairs tomorrow morning - keep your fingers crossed that the repair bill doesn't break the bank). Yuck.

This heat wave is another lesson in planning ahead. It really is too hot to eat so I've been filling up on popcorn and watermelon and raw carrots. I need to pick up some other hot weather friendly foods, but there is no way I'm going out to purchase said foods in this heat. Altho I am considering a run to buy a fan to get me through the night. Maybe a trip to Wal Mart so I can do both?

I did play golf this morning and was melting by the time we finished at 11 am. I even took a break and skipped one hole as the heat was definitely getting to me. I was embarrassed to skip the hole, but didn't want to pass out. I did wonder if my playing partners attributed my struggles in the morning's heat to my weight. On the good side, we did walk the 9-hole game.

Finally, no pictures from my "weekend walk" this weekend. I did go to San Francisco yesterday (where thankfully it was cooler than Sacramento but was really warm for the city that is generally quite cool in the summer) to see Wicked. Awesome show. And it was a 1.5 miles each way to the theater from the ferry building where we started. The shopping enroute didn't allow for a good heart rate, but it was definitely fun and better than driving.

Stay cool!

RIP

2009-06-26T07:29:00.001-07:00

In 1983, I used my new VCR and recorded the 25th anniversary of Motown and then watched it over and over. At the time, I remembered the special more for Diana Ross snubbing the Supremes, but both Michael's music and dancing are absolutely captivating. RIP Michael. Your music -- all of it, but especially that early Motown music -- is a big part of the soundtrack of my life.

Eating and walking in ruts!

2009-06-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

First of all, when did the price of a quick lunch creep up to almost $10 (at least here in northern CA)? Secondly, I sure get in a rut with all my meals, but especially with lunch. Sometimes I bring a frozen entree, but usually I run out to pick up a salad or something at a nearby eatery. A friend suggested going to PF Chang's (which is usually much more of a sit-down restaurant and also not usually very point friendly) and getting their side order of sichuan asparagus and a side of brown rice. I got a half order of the rice and the whole thing was only $3.20! And it only cost 7 points. And, I'm not hungry.

Speaking of a rut, I'm bored silly with my walking route. I usually leave my house and then go one of two ways in a 3-mile loop. So I spent some time this morning on gmap to map out some possible alternatives. It's just too easy to keep going the same way - I know the route and the distance (and where to shave off distance if I hit a time constraint).

What are you doing today to mix things up -- either exercise-wise or food-wise?

I am not hungry; I am not hungry; I am not hungry

2009-06-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

My "full" switch has not worked correctly for many years. I'm a volume eater. Even last weekend when I was at a ballgame, I kept eating food that I didn't even LIKE (which is actually rather rare; I'm pretty easy to please food-wise). The full switch was never triggered. Despite eating many calories, I was not satisfied.

Today I found myself eating a sandwich (low-fat tuna - not made w/mayo - on wheat) and wishing for chips and something sweet. I can't be hungry. I just finished a sandwich. But I'm not satisfied. So, I'm repeating the above mantra - I am not hungry - and drinking water until the feeling passes.

This week I'm going to focus on cutting back on alcohol. I really enjoy alcohol in social settings and maybe I'm socializing a bit more these days so it seems I have a drink or two a bit more often than previously. When I began WW, I allowed myself only one drink (rather than my customary two) when I did imbibe. This is yet another habit that has gotten sloppy. I'm back up to two and they're not always the best choices (fattening fruity margaritas or non-light beer). Being aware of this habit should help me eliminate a few empty calories over the next couple of weeks.

Maybe the mantra should be "I am not hungry; I do not want a drink; I am not hungry; I do not want a drink."

Quick Update

2009-06-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a weekend walk/ride this weekend since I had a packed weekend. I wasn't as active as usual, but did get a little walking in.

Late last week, I found unfortunately that old habits die hard. I was annoyed and angry with a friend and immediately turned to food/drink to soothe. In addition to the checkmark in the negative column for that, I'm putting at least a partial check in the positive column for being aware. I continue to struggle with using food for comfort. It doesn't let me down the way my friend did last week. Although I also learned/remember that it isn't a true solution. Two steps forward, one step back. Ugh!

Another challenge last week was work (or should I say overwork) stress. I didn't turn to food per se, but the lack of planning caused some bad food choices just due to being in such a hurry. I stocked up on a few frozen entrees which are good to keep in the fridge at work for those busy days when I can't get away to pick up a salad. And, due to work challenges last week, I didn't make my WW meeting.

This week, I'm going to tap into my awareness of food as comfort and I'm going to plan better for the busy days that are ahead.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Have a terrific week.

Weekend ride (or walk)

2009-06-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Liz over at Life in Liz's Shoes had a great idea that I stole and/or joined. She's starting a new blog segment called Weekend Walks to showcase some of the hikes/walks that she and her husband enjoy near their home in Oregon. Since I also live near some great hiking spots, I decided to do the same thing and that way Liz and I (anyone else interested in doing the same thing?) could get to know our respective areas.

Since we're having such great weather here in northern California (usually it's hotter than crazy in June, but we've only been in the 70s for a week or so ... weird, but I'm not complaining), I decided to take my bike out for a ride rather than going for a hike. But look for hiking posts in the future.

Today I rode along the American River Bike Trail - a 30-mile (I only did a portion of it -- about 17 miles total -- but my goal is to complete the entire trail in one trek) trail right along the American River. As you can see from the pictures, there are some great views. The bridge (the Guy West Bridge - named for the founder of the university) that looks like the Golden Gate is at Sacramento State University (my alma mater) and was built for bikes/pedestrians across the river by engineering students at the school and is built to scale of the Golden Gate.

BTW, I LOVE my new bike shorts from REI! They definitely came in handy today.

Confirmation

2009-06-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

I received confirmation today that Weight Watchers works if you work it. I'm pleased to report I lost 2.8 pounds over the last week. So the 3 pound gain from my "break" is almost gone. Veggies, water, exercise and journaling are key.

As I've mentioned here before, I'm not a big fan of vegetables except for salads and I can only do so many salads. Over the last year, I've been roasting veggies in the oven and that's a viable alternative/addition to salads. At the farmer's market last week, I picked up some sweet onions and adding those to the roasting vegetables (recently bell peppers and zucchini) really improves the taste (in my opinion). Quick, easy and tasty. What more could I want.

Today's trip to the farmer's market after WW yeilded more onions, zucchinis and rainer cherries. Cherries have been a yummy go to snack lately.

Finally, I'm cautiously optimistic about the performance of Debbie Meyer green bags (I got mine at Target). They really do (at least initially) seem to keep fruits and veggies from going bad as quickly. Living alone, I was wasting LOTS of produce previously, but so far so good with the bags.

Moving on to another week of veggies, water, exercise and journaling!

Back in the saddle

2009-05-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the week when I posted about getting back on track, Hanlie suggested I look into the Fab Fatties challenge. And I'm loving it! What is it about tracking a few things on a spreadsheet (for someone other than myself) that makes me actually go out of my way to ensure I get the points? It's a short challenge and I'm sure I'm not going to "win," but then again, I think I've already "won." :) And this is a site I hadn't visited before so I also appreciate having another tool in my arsenal.

This morning I combined two of the challenge items into one - exercise combined with a good deed. I went for a walk and took along latex gloves and a plastic bag and picked up litter along the route. (Note to school kids in my neighborhood: put your litter in the trash can -- DON'T just drop in someone's yard or in the gutter!) I try to do good deeds, but getting points for it in the challenge, definitely makes me more aware. And stopping every few steps to bend and pick up litter did change up my morning walk. I wasn't moving as fast, but I think the constant up and down added something else.

So, I've been doing well with most of the challenge items that are part of my healthy journey (fruits and veggies; water, exercise, good deeds). I'm just coming up short on recommending friends (and I think twitter is involved which I know zippo about).

Thank you Hanlie and thank you Fab Fatties! This challenge was just the jump start I needed. And thank you to the other bloggers that have provided me with the encouragement in my re-start!

First step back toward the track that I'm getting back on

2009-05-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

I re-joined Weight Watchers today after a month away (our WW at work group wasn't re-upped). Despite my best intentions last week relative to getting back on track, I was sidelined somewhat by the Memorial Day holiday and two birthday parties that I attended over the long weekend. I wasn't totally off the reservation, but I wasn't totally on plan either.

But today is a new day. My plans include 5 servings of fruits and veggies (and to that end I also stopped by the farmer's market after my WW meeting; this is going to be a fun Wednesday tradition), exercise of some kind each day, journaling, journaling and more journaling.

I hope everyone is having a good week!

In honor of Memorial Day - please remember all those that served and gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy today

2009-05-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, but organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Memorial Day “Red Poppy” tradition was inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Major John McCrae, a Canadian military surgeon who saw horrific fighting on the Western Front near France during World War I. Major McCrae was killed in action in 1918. His poem reads:

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In 1915, inspired by the poem, a lady named Miss Mona Michael, replied with her own verse:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

Miss Michael then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen and veterans in need. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later – and to this very day -- their “Buddy Poppy Program” continues to sell artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.

The one where Ross and Rachel -- err Sherre -- take a break

2009-05-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

So I've been on a break from my healthy journey. I'm not sure of all the reasons for the break, but one key piece was the Weight Watchers at Work that I was attending didn't get enough members to continue. So my WW group ended and I just stopped doing most of the things that I KNOW need to be done to succeed in this journey. I had planned to join Jenny Craig but that didn't work out. They keep giving me the run around about the physician release and clearly I wasn't as motivated for their program so it was easy to let the poor customer service dictate my lack of signing up.

But I've been thinking about getting back in the saddle for a few days and started to make positive steps toward the horse today. I think WW works best with my lifestyle of business lunches and social dinners. So I emailed a number of my former WWers and made plans for a few of us to go to a nearby lunchtime meeting. I need the accountability of the meetings, but more than the meeting/leader, I think it was my friends and coworkers cheering me on that was key. I also faced my home scale today. I'm up 3 pounds from my lowest and truthfully I was relieved it wasn't worse. I haven't totally gone off the reservation food-wise, but I clearly haven't been as diligent as I should.

I'm trying to recognize that life has stops and starts and I'm moving from a stop back to a start. Do I wish I hadn't taken a break? Yes. But am I motivated again to move forward beginning now? A resounding YES.

Pay It Forward

2009-05-17T07:16:00.001-07:00

I had a great experience yesterday resulting from a "pay it forward" act. I was at the Giants/Mets game in SF and waiting in line for ice cream (yeah -- not my best choice). I was behind two middle school girls who sang the National Anthem. I complimented them and then when they got up to order their ice cream, they didn't have enough money and apparently the coupons they had (from singing the national anthem) didn't work at this particular concession stand. So I bought their ice cream for them and told them to pay it forward. (Truthfully I should have bought their's and skipped mine, but unfortunately that's not the choice I made.)

Fast forward to dinner last night after the game. I'm very much a diet coke connoisseur and do NOT like diet pepsi. As often happens when I order a diet coke, the waiter says "diet pepsi ok?" I usually do make it a point that it will work, but that diet coke is my drink of choice (my thinking is beyond being a bitch; I think if a restaurant -- especially an independent restaurant -- gets enough comments like mine, they'll consider switching). After a few minutes, our waiter returned a little sweaty (we're in the midst of a SERIOUS heat wave) and presented me with a diet coke!! He had gone next door to McDonalds to get my soda of choice for me.

I'm convinced this act of kindness went beyond great customer service and was a direct result of my earlier act of kindness with the kids at the ballgame.

Pay it forward. It will come back to you many times over!! And if you're ever in Walnut Creek, eat at McCovey's. In addition to phenomenal customer service, the food is great and the baseball memorabilia fabulous. And I will be their customer for life.

Thank you ...

2009-05-14T12:28:00.001-07:00

I'm so pleased to have discovered and be a part of this terrific blogging community so the award I recently received from Tena and Manuela is especially appreciated. Thank you. Both of these bloggers often come through with a well-timed comment or post to help keep me on moving forward (despite some stops and setbacks) on this journey.

The "rules" include passing this on to other bloggers, but I get so much from all the blogs I read and the commenters who leave comments for me, that I can't pick five. All you SUPER bloggers are awarded this super award. And, from the bottom of my heart -- THANK YOU!

Race for the Cure and National Bike Month

2009-05-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm very impressed by the number of bloggers who are participating in one way or another with the 3-day breast cancer walks around the country. I'm not up for a 3-day hike, but today I (along with 25,000 other Sacramentans) did participate in the local 5K Koman Race for the Cure. We couldn't have asked for better weather for a walk. Due to the number of participants, we avoided the official parking and instead added a mile on either end of the race by parking in a nearby mall.

In honor of May - National Bike Month - I also took my bike in and had heavy duty tubes put in the tires since i'm ALWAYS getting flats. I plan to ride my bike in the evenings this coming week. (I wish I lived close enough to work to incorporate biking in my commute, but I'll have to settle for recreational and errand biking.)

Happy Drink-o de Mayo

2009-05-05T19:02:00.001-07:00

I stole today's title from a colleague of mine. It does seem that margaritas are a key part of today's festivities and celebrations. Thankfully, Hungry Girl came through with the following recipe on the email subscription today. It's YUMM-O as Rachael Ray would say!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Sprite Zero (or any diet lemon-lime soda)
One shot (1.5 oz.) tequila
One serving (half a packet or 1/8th of a tub) sugar-free strawberry powdered drink mix (any variety, like Crystal Light Strawberry-Kiwi or Energy Wild Strawberry)
4 frozen unsweetened strawberries
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 cup crushed ice or 5 - 8 ice cubes
Optional Garnish: lime wedge

I paired this with a taco salad and felt like I was indeed celebrating Cinco (or drink-o) de Mayo!

A great way to spend an evening

2009-05-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

I had a great evening last night with fellow California blogger, Tisha of A Blob Blog! She traveled to Sacramento for business and we were able to spend the evening together. She's as fabulous in person as she is on A Blob Blog. We wandered around Capitol Park and then visited while I ate dinner (she's doing awesome on her liquid diet - more than 25 pounds down! And she had a shake before we met.). Of course we talked about diet and exercise and the challenges associated with those, but we also found many other things to talk about. It has been a very pleasant surprise to me the community and support I have found here in blogland (I initially thought I just was keeping an online journal for my eyes only) and I'm thrilled to now have met one of my blog friends in person.

The pictures here are taken with my blackberry so they are rather blurry. Check out Tisha's blog when she's back home as she had a real camera and also took some pictures of us last night. Blurry pictures notwithstanding, it was a GREAT way to spend an evening. And I look forward to spending more time with Tisha - and others of you - in person and in blogland.

I am planning on BlogHer in July in Chicago so hopefully I'll meet more of you there!

Have a terrific weekend.

Ouch!

2009-04-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I felt the results of exercise well after the fact. Generally, I walk for exercise and that doesn't hurt. Friday, I walked down the stairs in my building (19 flights). Then I went for a walk. My legs felt like jelly and I had a hard time trying to pick up any speed on the walk (and the sky was dark with rain which worried me in my slow state). Then yesterday (another gorgeous spring day) I went for an hour bike ride. About the last 1/2 mile, my thighs were screaming.

Today my calves hurt. Whine whine whine. :) So I'm adding the stairs in my building to my repertoire so I can walk down the stairs AND then go for a walk or a bike ride.

And, Manuela, I finally made it to REI yesterday (per my comment to you last week) for bike shorts (since I had achy parts other than my legs on yesterday's bike ride) and was thrilled that they now sell capri "bike shorts." Clearly it's been a long time since I rode my bike with any regularity, but now I've got some of the appropriate gear so I plan to also (like the stairs) do more of that.

Have a great Sunday. I hope you're enjoying the same great weather we are.

Stop and smell the roses

2009-04-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

I went to Jenny Craig this morning, but can't sign up until probably Monday (they have to get my doctor to sign off since I have a stupid and MINOR heart valve issue). The good news is, I haven't used the "I'm (re)starting Monday" excuse to eat everything in sight. I'm excited that this will be the bit of a jumpstart I need food-wise.

Enjoy the pictures of California's capitol rose garden. I wish the blog had smell-o-vision for the red ones.

I'm looking forward to getting some exercise this weekend now that our weather is about perfect (after episodes of rain, wind and serious heat earlier in the week). Maybe a bike ride or two!

TGIF everyone!

Have you called Jenny yet?

2009-04-23T08:06:00.001-07:00

I'm boring myself by writing about my weight loss impasse. I did get on the scale today and it hasn't budged. Which is very good news. I was actually steeling myself for a bit of a gain.

So, my plan for today is to call Jenny. I need a little jump start and a coworker just started Jenny Craig and loves it. My WW-at-work just ended and it doesn't appear that we will have enough people to start up again. I don't think I want to do Jenny for too long since I eat out way too much, but it certainly can't hurt to look into it. My pal, Tisha, talked about the need for a go-to, easy plan when she started the plan she's currently on. I'm going to borrow the concept.

My other plan for today is two walks. It actually has been HOT here in Sacramento (well over 90) the last few days but today we're back to spring weather (thankfully). So, I plan to explore two rose gardens today -- lunch at the Capitol rose garden and after work at my favorite downtown park. Pictures to follow. Roses are just now blooming and the first bloom always seems to be the most vibrant. And, I've had a VERY busy week and today promises to be a little less so. The perfect time to stop and smell the roses. With a few steps thrown in for good measure.

The weekend is almost here! Enjoy.

Non-exercise activity and its saboteurs

2009-04-13T06:17:00.001-07:00

While at the hairdresser this weekend, I read a magazine article about non-exercise activity. The observation in the article is that thin people just move more than overweight people. And this non-exercise activity burns calories and helps with overall fitness.

I definitely don't move much except when specifically exercising. It's just too easy to veg out on the couch and busy myself with non-exercise activity saboteurs - TV and the internet! But since reading the article, I'm trying to incorporate this concept. So, I'm trying to put music on and move more and limit the TV and internet (it helped that there weren't new episodes of Desperate Housewives yesterday!). So far so good. Yesterday, I busied myself preparing food for the Easter dinner I attended in addition to doing some work in my garage.

As with all thing along this journey, being aware is key! TV and surfing the net become almost unconscious activities. As with advice I've given myself before, I need to get my head in the game.

I continue to struggle with the journey, but I'm NOT throwing in the towel.

Have a good Monday ... and enjoy some non-exercise activity!

Note to self

2009-04-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

I'm stealing one of Roni's features and posting a "note to self." (A note to MYself ... not Roni.) :)

You're still over 200 pounds. You're still in the obese category. You not 100 percent able to shop out of the plus size departments. Your new size 16 jeans are feeling a bit snug. Bottom line -- now is not the time to stop or even slow this journey.
******
I had a great Sunday and spent it at a giant antiques fair on an closed naval base right across the San Francisco Bay from the city. The best part of the day is the view (which the picture doesn't capture too well since it was taken with the blackberry). It wasn't fast walking (since there is so much junk -- or is it treasures -- to look at), but I did manage more than 10,000 steps.

Happy Monday everyone. I hope I'm off to a good week since I started out with a walk this morning.

SMACKDOWN: Bad Habits versus Good Habits

2009-03-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Why is it so easy for bad habits to creep back into my life and overtake the good habits? Bad habits like not weighing, eating too many processed carbs (especially instead of fresh fruits and veggies), sitting on the couch rather than hitting the gym, including alcohol at meals, not journaling, guesstimating points values.

All the studies indicate that it takes approximately 21 days to form a habit. So why do the bad habits seem to always win in the battle of healthy versus unhealthy?

I think part of this is related to my own psychology. I get stalled far too easily in many areas of my life and I'm stalled right now when it comes to weight loss. Part of this may be due to me wanting the easy way out. But, I'm not giving up despite the stall. I'm going to hang in there until the easy way isn't my go-to method!

Who is this person who is anxious to get back on track??

2009-03-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a few days at one of my (and my pal, Tisha's) favorite places - Disneyland! I was there with some girlfriends to celebrate the birthday of one of them. We had a great time despite the crowds (apparently it's spring break in some neighboring states -- UGH).

The downside of the trip was the frenzy of eating and drinking. The worst thing we ate was a deep-fried brownie with ice cream, chocolate and raspberry sauce. On the positive side, we logged about 11 to 13 miles per day according to my trusty pedometer. Another positive was that my 50-pound loss made me LOTS more comfortable on rides such as California Screamin'. I was downright miserable the last time I rode it and then I skipped it the next few visits. (I'm not a big rollercoaster fan, so I didn't think skipping the ride was that big a deal. But riding again was a BLAST.)

The most interesting part of the trip occured after I was home last night. I went to the grocery store and could not stop loading up on produce. Then I came home and oven roasted a bunch of it - brussels sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms, zucchini. I was actually craving healthy foods and filled up on 'em all day yesterday.

Now if I can put together the major walking done in Disneyland with the new-found fondness for veggies, I'd be on the right track!!

A little slow in figuring things out

2009-03-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a bit of an eating frenzy - chips and salsa (my downfall), a large margarita, guacamole, popcorn, Girl Scout cookies. I realized AFTER eating everything the feelings I was stuffing down. The mother of an old friend of mine died last week and her rosary was last night and the funeral today. There were a number of similarities between her mom and my own (who died about six years ago). They were both about the same age (she and I were both late-in-life babies) and were members of the "greatest generation." There is a definite truth to how significant both the depression and WWII colored the experiences of that generation (and subsequently the kids they raised).

The memories of both my friend's mom and my mother are all good and often bring a smile, but those memories reminded me how much I miss my own mother and made me realize that feelings that my friend will be facing in the near future. Rather than feeling the feelings at the time, I started stuffing them down with food. Old habits sure die hard. At the time I was eating, I wasn't even sure why I was doing so. I guess better late than never, however. The realization, when it hit, was definitely an aha moment.

I missed my WI today (the funeral service went longer than anticipated), but am basically same weight according to my home scale.

Back on track -- especially with being conscious when I'm eating.

Sunday Miscellany

2009-03-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

After some great weather last week, winter returned to northern California this weekend. I golfed on Saturday in a cold wind (thank goodness for the extra sweatshirt in the car). When I got to the course, I thought about bailing, but remembered Hanlie's post about what a workout she got when walking in the wind. So, we powered through walking in the wind and I didn't keep score and I'm blaming the wind on my lousy shots (of course my friend's game didn't seem to suffer at all).

Today, I went for a walk and the rain caught me as I was at the furthest point away from home. The rain didn't fully materialize, but I hightailed it home since the weather was (and remains) sprinkly and iffy.

Last week, I received a few compliments about my weight loss from people I hadn't seen in quite a while (we were all at the same meeting). Those NSVs definitely help keep me motivated.

I hope the scale tomorrow reflects my good week, but even if it doesn't, it feels really good to be on program for more than one day at a time. I'm planning to continue my improved habits this week.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Today it feels like I exercised ...

2009-03-09T22:07:00.001-07:00

I enjoy exercising when it doesn't feel like exercise. At least when it doesn't feel like exercising at the time. Today it definitely feels like I exercised yesterday.

Scenes from an almost-spring day hike:

Does motivation, discipline come naturally?

2009-03-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

And/or do you have to wait for the mood to strike and then take advantage?

When I started WW a year ago, it all seemed to come very naturally. The journaling, the exercise, the food choices, the blogging. As I've blogged about over the last few months, I've stalled. It's not coming naturally. While I haven't gained, I haven't lost. I still make good choices most of the time, but bad habits creep in. And I've gotten lazy with exercise and other habits key to this journey.

Over the last few days, I've been feeling "it" (whatever "it" is) again and the habits that I struggled with recently seem to be coming more naturally. I went for a long walk yesterday morning (the spring weather didn't hurt) and then walked 9 holes of golf. I went to the grocery store and bought more produce than anything else. And I even prepared and have been eating it. I've dusted off my password and have been using eTools to journal.

I'm still not sure about my questions above, but I'm going to take advantage of this renewed enthusiasm.

A few of my favorite things ...

2009-03-05T17:35:00.000-08:00

Annette did this on her blog today, and reported an improved mood. So I'm totally stealing the idea. :) Without further ado ... a few of my favorite things:

The Sound of Music :)
Friends and family
Blogger friends and their blogs
Watching a major or minor league baseball game on a warm sunny day (even better when I'm playing hookey from work to do it)
Pedicures
Handbags and tote bags
Bill Maher (thank goodness for his podcasts now that I've cancelled HBO)
A good chick flick enjoyed with a girlfriend
Diet Coke
Watching it rain
A sunroof
Warm (not hot) summer evenings
San Francisco
Disneyland
Yosemite
My pink blackberry
iPod
audible.com
A good book that I can't stand to put down
Oprah
A good political discussion/debate
Rescue Me
The smell of gardenias
The first bloom of roses in the spring
Daylight savings time (don't forget to spring forward on Sunday)
9 holes of golf after work
A warm beach
Talking with kids (from the age of when they're just learning to talk all the way to near adult-hood); they explain/say things in the darndest ways ...
Kindle
Springtime
A bike ride on a warm day along the river
Lake Tahoe in the summer
Decadent hotel rooms (thank goodness for work paying the way sometimes)
Wii Fit
Vuarnet and Ray Bay sunglasses

Weekends: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

2009-03-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else struggle with weekends? I used to think that everyone did until I had lunch with a WW friend last week and weekends are the best WW-wise for her. She's more in control since she's at home and she prepares her food herself, etc. I, on the other hand, overeat due to 1) the unstructuredness of the weekend so I find myself grazing; 2) social outings that bring with them food and alcohol; and/or 3) boredom which sends me straight for food.

I'm better on non-winter weekends because there's so much to do to keep me busy and my mind off food. I can stay busy and, therefore, away from food. In the winter, all three of my reasons come into play. Even when I'm socializing in warmer weather, fruits and veggies are much more abundant.

The good part of weekends is more time to exercise. I can go for an hour + walk rather than hurrying to get off the treadmill to get to the office and/or (at the other end of the day) beat the dark and/or gym crowds. When the weather's ok (and truthfully -- it's ok here far more often than for many of you) I can still get out and bike, hike and/or golf.

This past weekend everything came into play. I socialized in food settings that weren't the greatest (Chinese and heavy heavy pasta both of which included leftovers and a sliver of a delightful burnt almond cake -- YUMM), I found myself at loose ends and bored (our weather was VERY rainy much of the weekend) and grazing was in full swing. I did manage more-than-my usual exercise (but still less than I get on better weather weekends).

I really can't wait until nicer weather when I'm playing more golf, hiking, going to ball games, etc. I did the best on WW last spring and summer. While I was in the honeymoon phase, I also think I was in far more control on the weekends, which is key.

Have a good on-plan (whatever your plan may be) Monday, everyone!

Great comment; great quote; great tip

2009-02-25T21:25:00.000-08:00

I'm so grateful to have discovered blogging and all of you! Here are some recent gems I've learned or been challenged to think about based on posts and comments from my fellow bloggers.

Great comment: A while back, I posted about losing motivation at the half-way point in my journey. Hanlie commented on that post and a light bulb went on. Her question to me was what I considered the journey to be -- losing X number of pounds or living a healthy life. That was the perfect comment, Hanlie ! I'm still working on motivation, but her comment made me realize that this journey is about living a healthy life. Losing the weight is a byproduct, but as she pointed out, there is no mid-point. This is for the rest of my life. Yes .. I will be able to indulge in certain treats, but the bottom line is eating fruits and vegetables and lean protein and whole grains along with exercising are going to be a part of my life from here on out. Thank you, Hanlie!

Great quote: "If hunger is not the problem, food is not the solution." I found this on Bitch Cake's blog and this was a quote her favorite WW leader used to say. This has really stuck with me and I've remembered it (thankfully) at various times when I've wanted to eat without being hungry.

Great tip: Unfortunately, I can't remember where I read this, but one comment on a weight loss blog suggested painting your fingernails in the evening to avoid mindless munching. Wet nails definitely get in the way when you want to munch. I know some use brushing their teeth to avoid snacks in the evening, but doing your nails accomplishes the same AND you end up with great looking nails.

These are just a few of the tips and food for thought I've picked up recently in blogland. Thank you blogger friends!

Scared straight

2009-02-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was working from home in the afternoon and had to go onto my old desktop computer for a file. The screensaver on that computer is the slideshow of "my pictures." While sitting at the desk, I saw this picture pass through the slideshow and was really taken aback. Was I really that big? Did I really look that awful? And I have no memory of this picture (altho in digging through files, it was taken at Half Moon Bay in late 2006).

As the old documentary indicated, I was "scared straight." Yikes. I managed all my goals yesterday (in fact going for a walk immediately after this picture popped up!). Coincidence? I think not. I'm going to carry this picture with me -- to hopefully provide motivation when mine is flagging.

My weigh in was yesterday and I lost .4. Based on the few weeks I've had, I'm not complaining. I'm planning and hoping for that to be the beginning of the scale moving (even if it's at a crawl) in the right direction.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I can eat anything I want

2009-02-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

I can eat anything I want. I'm able to eyeball to determine portion sizes. I'm too tired to exercise. I don't need to weigh myself. Having a "week off" from WW (due to the holiday) allows me to eat pretty much anything coupled with "relaxing" (aka not exercising) because I have extra time to get any newly gained weight off before the next weigh-in.

These are the lies I've been telling myself recently. Thinking like this is how I got to 271 pounds!

I don't know why I'm being so sloppy lately with this journey. I know better! (Although I always knew better even on my way right up the scale to 271 pounds.)

I'd love to get back the "honeymoon" phase of this journey. I started today (again). Went to the gym for an hour (I would have gone for a walk, but I'm enjoying our VERY rainy weather) and then stopped by the grocery store for the makings for a big healthy salad to eat on this week. Of course, I had a little setback on the way out of the grocery store -- Girl Scout cookies. I had every intention (isn't the road to hell paved with good intentions??) of just donating $10 to the Girl Scouts and telling them to keep the cookies. All thinking flew out the window when I got to their table and ended up with two boxes of the lemon cookies. And, they're FABULOUS. I've got to throw or give the rest away, but I haven't done that -- not yet anyway. At least I've stuck with one serving so far.

Ugh! Small steps.

This week's goals: 1) exercise EVERY single day, 2) at least three servings of veggies EVERY single day, and 3) NO MORE THAN 2 of those GS cookies (unless they do end up in the trash).

Hump Day Quickie

2009-02-18T21:34:00.001-08:00

Just a quickie (stolen from Choosinglosing. No weigh in this week due to the President's Day Holiday (which is just as well).

Mood: Blah blah blah (in addition to feeling blah about the weight loss, my laptop died this weekend and I lost my pedometer)

Breakfast: Two whole wheat toaster waffles w/2 tsp butter

Stressin’: Upcoming Board meetings at work and the projects that go along with that.

Lovin’: A new outfit for CHEAP that generated lots of compliments today.

Highlight of my weekend: Dinner with friends, including one who was visiting from Japan.

Looking forward to: a trip to Disneyland this spring

Weekly goals: Get back the groove exercise-wise (so far so good this week despite the lost pedometer! Who knew that a little gadget could provide motivation to move.).

How would you summarize your week based on the above (or other criteria)?

A feel good story to inspire us all

2009-02-13T09:37:00.001-08:00

I was in sunny (but damn chilly) LA the last couple of days for business meetings. The highlight of the trip happened because I was in the right place at the right time. I was waiting for colleagues at the administration office of a children's hospital when an 11-year old girl and her mother stopped in.

This little girl had been treated at the hospital for a series of gastrointestinal problems, but is now healthy and doing very well. On one of her visits to the hospital for follow-up care, she and her mother happened upon an art disply put together by the children who were being treated in the hospital for cancer. The display and stories of the children moved this little girl so much that she decided to begin fundraising for the hospital. She has done lemonade stands, donated her allowance, done recycling for family and neighbors and asks for donations to the hospital instead of birthday/special occasion gifts.

She was in the hospital this week to present them with the proceeds of her most recent fundraising efforts -- $1100 (and this is just one in a series of her donations!). And she's only 11 years old! She was gracious, poised, articulate (she had no problem making the presentation of the donation -- along with her story of connection to the hospital and the patients -- to a group of about 10 hospital staff and a few visitors like myself).

I so enjoyed hearing her story and meeting her. If an 11-year old can raise $1100 for a cause she believes in, what can the rest of us do?!?!

Giveaway!

2009-02-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Rebecca at It's a Lifelong Journey is giving away one of Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred DVDs. Check it out here! (You have until Valentine's Day to enter.)

There IS a runner's high

2009-02-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

This week, Annette inspired me to incorporate a bit of running into my walks. I'm not running as much as she is -- yet. But I did walk around my favorite park yesterday. It has seven sides (times 2 laps) and I ran about a minute on each of the sides. By the end I was grinning ear to ear (like Annette). There IS a runner's high. Even a REALLY REALLY slow runner's high! Even a REALLY REALLY slow runner who is really a walker's high!

Today I met friends for breakfast and then came home and went to the high school track to do the same thing (I actually was eager to try the walk/run again). In a million years, no one is going to believe I've run (except away from serious danger!). Even in my much younger, much thinner days I HATED running. The friends I met this morning (and I've known them for more than 35 years each) couldn't believe it!

I'm off to d/load the couch to 5K to see how that works now that I've broken the ice.

Some scenes from the park yesterday. It was near dusk and right after a rain (which we need desperately), so it wasn't crowded. I've never seen ducks with the coloring of these.

Happy weekend!

I went "red for women" today!

2009-02-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

Have a great Friday everyone.

Go Red for Women

2009-02-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

I want to join Cammy and urge everyone to Go Red For Women tomorrow - Friday, February 6. More information on this American Heart Association event can be found here. Cammy also encouraged all of us to post a picture of our redness tomorrow. I'm planning to participate and hope you will, too. I suffer from a fairly minor heart ailment and that's a big part of my motivation (flagging and otherwise) to get healthy.

Macy's is offering discounts tomorrow to everyone who wears red and the promotion is available on-line also. (I love some of the red small kitchen appliances. A trip to Macy's may be in my future tomorrow!)

Thanks, Cammy! (And, I'll be looking for pictures tomorrow.)

On another note, check out the iPosture giveaway on Choosing Losing! I can win an iPosture, an intuitive electronic device designed to improve posture, and so can you! Click here for contest details!

Keeping my eye on the prize

2009-02-05T09:02:00.001-08:00

My weigh in was Monday and I gained half a pound. I'm not TOO worried and plan for it to be gone by next Monday IF I can shake these blahs.

As previous posts have indicated, my motivation in this journey is flagging somewhat and I need to figure out how to remain committed to getting to my goal of a healthy weight.

On small motivation is falling by the weigh-side (pun intended). I have lost weight and can now shop in the non-plus size department for many clothing items although sometimes I still need to head into plus size tops. So, despite losing weight and doing some (key word is some; clearly much more is to be done) work on my underlying issues, I'm feeling less than motivated at this mid-journey point. Food provides such comfort for all those underlying issues which unfortunately have not magically disappeared.

And speaking of those underlying issues, match.com = blech. Nothing happening there. Family relationships are SLIGHTLY improved which is a positive. But I still find myself lonely and a bag of chips and a brownie (or three) coupled with a movie or stupid TV show provide comfort. In the positive column, I'm finding that exercise also provides a similar distraction IF I can put one foot in front of the other to make that happen.

It's just a blah time. If this weight loss thing was easy, all of us would be thinner and healthier with more time to fill since blogging wouldn't be necessary. :)

What have you done/do you do to keep the motivation going when you hit the mid-journey blahs?

Daylight!

2009-01-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite days of the year is December 21. That's because the days begin to get longer after months of days getting shorter. Today I was able to go for a walk after work in one of my favorite parks. And I only had to sneak out of work about 15 minutes early. I love that it's light here until about 5:30.

Sacramento is having an unusually mild winter and today was gorgeous. The camellias are blooming because I'm sure they have no idea what month it is based on our weather. Usually northern California is very rainy in the winter but not this year. Unfortunately we really need the rain since the entire state relies on it for water.

The weather forecast for the weekend is more good weather. I have a golf game and a hike planned.

Weekly Challenge: Motivation / Progress Report

2009-01-26T13:26:00.000-08:00

How did everyone do with last week's TiSheDo challenge of avoiding sugar? I did pretty well except for the cake episode that I blogged about AND I wasn't diligent about checking product ingredients. So I know I picked up some sugar in the BBQ sauce on a BBQ chicken salad as just one example. I'm going to keep working on this one, especially since so many commenters on Tisha's blog talked about diminished sugar cravings after cutting it out of their diets.

It's my turn for this week's challenge and since I just posted about this, I want to urge everyone to do something every day this week to "keep your head in the game." For example, I own every diet book ever published and they're all chock full of good tips. I own some hypnosis weight-loss CDs that were pretty pricey and I've never even listened to all of them. So, every day I'm going to remind myself to keep my head in the game -- the healthy journey game. Hanlie recently discussed the muscle, motivation, which must be exercised just like all our other muscles. When I read that, it was a light bulb for me. I've just been going through the motions, but really need to amp up the motivation exercise. What are you going to do to exercise your motivation this week? I started the Beck Diet for Life book last night and I'm going to read a bit from it every day. And, maybe even listen to those hypnosis weight loss CDs!

And, I'm pleased to report the scale (and my ticker at the top of this blog) is actually inching downward again. The net is a slight loss (due to my gain at my last weigh in), but I'm feeling re-invigorated to journal, drink water, stay away from processed foods (especially those containing sugar!), consistently exercise, and eat my veggies.

Have a good Monday!

The party (or vacation or break) is OVER

2009-01-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

Today, I wore a pair of pants that I posted about back in October and I noticed that, despite the passage of more than three months, these slacks aren't that big on me. They still fit well and are just a little looser (clearly not big enough for me to drop sizes). When I first started WW last March, a three to four-month period of time would mean my clothes were noticeably bigger on me. So I went back to my handy dandy weight tracker tool on WW e-tools and I'm only down about five pounds over the last almost four months!

Each week it seems I lose a tiny little bit and then I gain a little bit and then the cycle repeats. This sounds like maintenance -- clearly NOT not a way to actually lose weight. If I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit I haven't been giving this effort my best. I've gotten sloppy. And I almost didn't even notice, because I do get those small losses every now and then. And I do get compliments on my loss (finally -- took a while). I've been deluding myself.

So -- the party is over. I've got to get back on track or be happy at the weight I'm at. And I'm NOT happy at this weight. Except for both the way up and the way down to this point, it's heavier than I've ever been (if that makes any kind of sense!). I think I've been buying into comments from people like "oh you don't need to lose any -- or much -- more." YES I do! I'm still obese. I haven't even made it to the overweight category yet (although the Wii Fit teases me with being close). I think I needed the wake-up call of the slacks that still fit (unfortunately) combined with reviewing the weight tracker.

#######

Check out Tisha's blog for this week's TiSheDo weekly challenge -- NO sugar. And, to be totally honest, I've already blown this accidentally (which is a good reminder that I need to get my head back in this game!!). I was at dinner last night with a friend celebrating his birthday and the restaurant brought a complimentary piece of cake (YUMMY chocolate cake -- my favorite). I had about three bites before I even remembered the no sugar challenge. The good news is I stopped myself about the time I remembered.

Clearly I haven't been giving Katschi's 6-week challenge my all either.

The party/break/vacation is OVER!

Inauguration Day = History in the Making

2009-01-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a good MLK Day today. And enjoy the history that will be made tomorrow on Inauguration Day. I'll be up early to watch the festivities on TV.

A great Friday and a big thank you!

2009-01-17T07:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was reading Dawn's blog about her plans to make Friday great and she encouraged everyone else to do the same. My Friday was indeed great.

The first and foremost aspect of my GREAT Friday was all of you. Thank you for your kind and supportive words on my post about jealousy. Sharing your own stories/thoughts/feelings really helped me understand these feelings a little better. THANK YOU. This is such a wonderful commmunity!

The next part of my great Friday, I almost hate to mention based on the miserable weather many of you are experiencing. The west coast has been unseasonably warm (it's in the 60s here) the last week or so. So I went for a walk yesterday (I LOVE it when the boss it out of the office) to soak up the vitamin D. Some pics are below.

Then I had a long lunch with a friend/colleague that included lots of laughs (and, unfortunately, too much beer). He and I usually just eat and drink, but yesterday (as we were both talking about our fitness efforts) we made plans for a 5K later this year and a golf outing coming up soon.

I also found out that I won the coolest food scale in a giveway that awesome blogger,Lyn held.

Our good weather is supposed to continue through the weekend. I'm golfing Monday and am taking my bike in this morning to fix a flat (I have GOT to figure out how to do this myself) and then going for a ride along our great bike trail along the American River.

Have a great weekend.

The green-eyed monster

2009-01-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

One of my real character flaws is jealousy. I really wish I could get rid of all the crappy feelings that come with the monster, but I haven't figured out how. Maybe blogging about it will help. It can't hurt.

My best friend (BF; I would say BFF, but I'm too old for trendy expressions - haha) who I've known for more than 35 years is the subject of this jealousy on two fronts and I HATE that the jealousy is crowding out the feelings of happiness I SHOULD have for the good things coming her way. No one deserves the happiness more than her, but I make it all about me and how I'm impacted or how unfair it is. What a selfish bitch! I really hate this about myself. And, this is just my latest bout of jealousy; it isn't new. Unfortunately.

BF has been in a difficult situation for about four years due to being the primary caregiver for an elderly relative whose health has steadily declined over the years. I really enjoy BFs company (obviously), plus she's my "go-to" friend for all kinds of things that either/both of us want to do -- day trips, vacations, etc. Or at least she was before she became inundated with care for her relative. I've missed her and our fun times during her caregiving "exile." We obviously still talk and see each other, but our friendship has changed to accomodate her other responsibilities.

At our reunion (yes we were high school buds) in October she reconnected with a classmate and they are now both crazy about each other. I'm jealous because I want a relationship. I see how excited she is with this new (or old since we've both known him forever) guy and I want that. And, I'm jealous (or irrationally fearful) because I feel like she's slipping away from me. Especially during this early newness phase of their relationship. I haven't had someone to call up on a whim to do things with recently and now that things are easing up with her relative every spare minute of her's is taken up with the new man. I know my fear is irrational. At least I know it intellectually.

Only adding to the jealousy is the weight thing (of course). I've been on this journey for 10 months and have lost 50 pounds (can you say SLOW? NOT that I'm complaining). When she reconnected with the man, all the excitement, etc. caused her to lose her appetite. Long story short, she's lost almost as much as I have (35 pounds) but only in about three months! And, she hasn't exercised at all. I know it's not a competition, but jeez!

Wiki Answers provides some tips on dealing with jealousy that appear to be relevant to me.

Understand the emotions. Jealousy is a combination of fear and anger: fear of losing something and anger that someone is "moving in on" something that you feel belongs only to you.

Allow yourself to actually 'feel' emotions in a healthy way.

Communicate your feelings. Jealousy can alert you to what you want and what is important to you.

Identify what jealousy is teaching you. When you begin to understand what makes you jealous, you can begin to take positive steps to maintain those things, without the cloud of negative emotion that accompanies jealousy.

I think it's interesting that some of the advice on dealing with jealousy is the same advice for dealing with weight issues: espeially the feel the feelings advice. I'm using this forum to help me navigate some of these feelings in an EFFORT (not sure if it will be successful) to NOT stuff the feelings down with food. And in an effort to minimize the feelings.

Did I mention, I really hate that I get so jealous? :) I'm going to try to quit worrying about myself and instead focus on being happy for BF. Not sure if I'll be successful. But trying is better than not.

Accentuate the positive

2009-01-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

And, as Bing would say, eliminate the negative.

I weighed in at WW yesterday and the scale registered a 3.2 pound GAIN. And, I met my goals last week (exercise, veggies, journaling and staying within points). My doctor has been experimenting with medication I take for a minor heart thing, so I'm attributing the gain to water retention due to changes in medication. I am NOT getting discouraged and not falling off the wagon. I hope I can continue to feel sanguine about this gain while also hoping that those pounds are gone next week and they take a friend or two with 'em!

This one's for you, Karen

2009-01-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

A while back, Karen at Katschi's Fitcetera encouraged bloggers to post a picture of their sweaty selves. Here's mine with only minimal sweat due to the chilly temps. But my heart rate (according to my HRM) was getting into uncharted territories due to the effort required to get up a bit of a hill. And, this six-mile bike ride came this afternoon -- after a six mile walk this morning (the additional exercise was due to a mix-up in appointment times for my car repairs; but at least the repairs are completed and I more than made up for yesterday's "rest" day).

So far so good

2009-01-09T20:52:00.001-08:00

While the scale doesn't reflect it (at least not yet), I'm doing well with my weight loss goals. I've exercised everyday so far (except today, but I'm walking six miles tomorrow between the car dealer and a restaurant to meet friends for breakfast - I LOVE www.gmap-pedometer.com which is an awesome tool for mapping out walks); I've tracked my food on the WW website, I've gotten at least three servings of veggies every day; I've reduced the numbef of diet cokes I drink and I've significantly reduced sugar and alcohol.

Since the scale isn't the always the greatest tool, I'm taking a page from my pal, Skye and beginning (better late than never) to track my measurements.

Wrist - 6.25
Upper arm - 14.5
Neck - 14
Chest - 45
Waist - 39
Hips - 45
Thigh - 25
Calf - 17.5

And using a this site recommended by both Skye and Dawn, I calculated that I have 28.8% body fat (63 pounds of fat and 158 pounds of bones, muscle and water).

I'm looking forward to these numbers decreasing!

Happy weekend (finally!) everyone.

Remember this feeling!

2009-01-05T09:17:00.001-08:00

I went back to the gym this morning before work. I got out of this habit due to just not wanting to get out of bed early. Late last year I fit in exercise at other times -- a walk at lunch (after the summer heat dissipated) and/or going to the gym in the evenings. Due to all the New Year's newbies at the gym, I know it will be PACKED in the evenings (even before New Year's that's the prime time -- and like our traffic patterns, it seems to start earlier and go later) for a while.

So, the best time to ensure I get on the machines (including the treadmill) is in the mornings. I went to bed early, set my alarm and stole the idea from a blogger (sorry I can't remember which one) to sleep in my workout clothes to save time in the early morning. I did hit the snooze button a time or two too often this morning, but (due to my shortened getting ready time) still made it to the gym (and even though I didn't have as much time there as I would have liked, it was better than staying in bed).

As I was leaving, I felt great. Really ready to take on the day. I hope I can remember this feeling when I'm tempted to roll over and skip the morning gym time (probably as soon as tomorrow morning).

If I could figure out why I'm so ready to toss aside things that really and truly feel good (exercising in the morning, eating on program, etc.) due to laziness or the need for comfort, I think I'd have the answer this whole weight loss thing.

Have a good first Monday of 2009 (I'm practicing writing 2009 to get in the habit). :)

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T06:22:00.001-08:00

(And thank you for the kind comments about me finally hitting 50!)

Good news and not-so-good news

2008-12-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

My not-so-good news is that I STILL have this stinkin' cold and zippo energy. I wish I felt better so I could enjoy our terrific weather. It's sunny and 65 degrees here. I'm really hoping to be feeling better by Wednesday so I can kick off the long weekend and New Year's with some exercise! It's been too long.

The GOOD news ...

I lost three pounds today (unofficially; no WW meeting due to the office where it's held being closed)! These three pounds have been a long time coming -- two months to be exact. Amazing what results happen once you actually begin to work the program. I'm especially pleased with this milestone since it moves me past the half-way point of what I need to lose. Next stop: goal in 2009!

And, speaking of working the program and 2009, my plan for Katschi's 6-week challenge (just leave a comment on her blog if you'd like to participate) is:

- journal all food (even on weekends!)
- stay within daily and weekly flex points (even on weekends)
- at least three servings of veggies every day (even on weekends)
- move every day (this can be "official" exercise like a walk or doing the circuit at the gym or "unofficial" like playing Wii Fit) for a minimum of 30 minutes
- decrease the number of Diet Cokes I drink by 1/3 (even on weekends)
- no more than four alcoholic beverages during the entire 6 weeks - (yep ... even on weekends) I figure this will allow for four social occasions where I SLOWLY SIP one drink all evening; in most social settings I choose club soda, but there are a few times when everyone is drinking and I want to join them.

The hardest will be the reduction in Diet Coke and alcohol (although I think I have a good plan for the alcohol).

In other news, I've been looking for a winter coat recently. Usually I don't really need a coat (a leather jacket or my raincoat works fine), but this year has been colder than usual and I swim in my winter coats (and they don't have belts for cinching like the raincoat). Today I stopped in the local Goodwill and found a coat - YAY. It was only $6. Can't beat the price and it will definitely get me through the rest of the winter.

Have a great week leading up to 2009!

Starve a cold or feed a cold

2008-12-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

I've been fighting a cold since Christmas Day. Yuck -- I felt awful that day and basically chilled at home and canceled my various plans for that day. Yesterday I got out and hit the after-Christmas sales (and scored some good deals clothes-wise to get me through the winter), but energy waned pretty quickly.

In the "how things have changed," one of the things I'm missing the most about feeling so lousy (and this is on top of a sick week last week) is not getting out to exercise. After two weeks of hit or miss exercise, I'm missing it (I'm counting that as a positive)! I had hoped to do a hike and/or bike ride yesterday and get in a round of golf sometime over the long weekend. But I just don't have the energy. Hopefully tomorrow!

I've joined Katschi's 6-week challenge to strictly follow my weight loss program (Weight Watchers in my case) for six weeks. I'm ready to stop with the lose a little/gain a little" thing I've been doing for the last TWO months. It's time to get recommit to my program! Check out Katschi's Fitcetera if you want to join.

Have a good weekend.

Have a terrific and fun holiday!

2008-12-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

TiSheDo Weekly Challenge -- Week 11 -- Water for Alcohol

2008-12-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas/Chanukah week everyone! This is such a busy time of year with lots of holiday get-togethers which brings me to this week's two-part TiSheDo Weekly Challenge. Probably due to the colder weather (and I know those of us in California don't really know what "cold" weather is!) coupled with a busy time of year, I've been slacking on getting my water in everyday. In the summer, it's hot which makes me want water. Clearly that's not a problem in December -- even in sunny California. It seems I'm drinking less and less -- especially on the weekends.

So, for this week's TiSheDo Challenge, make sure you're drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water (I know, I know ... new studies indicate other liquids can be substituted for water, so everyone figure out the right amount of water/other liquids for their particular circumstances). And, there are probably a few last-minute holiday get-togethers this week which often mean free flowing alcohol. The second part of this challenge is to substitute alcohol with water at least some of the time over this week. As the saying goes, "all things in moderation." Including alcohol, especially during this holiday week.

I hope you're all in better shape than I am for the holidays. I'll be hitting the stores tomorrow and Tuesday evening, but I don't have TOO much left to do.

Ho ho ho!!

Give a little and see what comes back to you ...

2008-12-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

The FABULOUS MizFit is donating 10 cents for every comment she receives on today's post to a domestic violence shelter in her hometown of Austin, Texas. Her blog is wonderful (I truly learn something in every one of her posts) so this is a two-fer. You'll find excellent info and you'll be helping women who need a helping hand in Austin.

MizFit's suggestion to people like me who also wanted to do something was to do it locally. So I went to our domestic violence thrift store today at lunch to donate some money and to look at smaller clothes. I walked out with a Jones New York (my favorite brand) suit for $15!! And as promised, I dropped a $20 (MizFit was up to 200 comments when I left for lunch) in their donation jar.

So, even though I did a little something for our shelter today, I was the big winner with the feeling of doing something small to help out someone else. The great suit was a definite bonus (it's a little snug and a lighter weight fabric, so it also will provide some inspiration in this weight loss journey for the spring/summer; I couldn't go wrong with the price). I'm definitely going shopping there again.

Slip sliding away

2008-12-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

As Simon and Garfunkle said:

Slip sliding away, slip sliding away
You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away

I feel the beginning of a slide. The combination of being sick (and therefore just not feeling like exercising while craving comfort food), holiday stress (I have GOT to begin Christmas shopping sometime) and the winter blahs (cold and damp) are providing easy excuses for me to do a less than stellar job of focusing on my journey lately.

As when I went on vacation last summer and last week, I did ok on vacation. Then I come home and go a little crazy with the grazing (thankfully all good choices since that's what I have at home ... but the portions were all TOO much and TOO often!). I know I have no right to complain about weather compared to most of the rest of you, but it's cold (cold for Sacramento at least) here. And, I've been fighting some kind of bug. Not a bad one, but one that totally zaps my energy. UGH. My mind isn't helping either. I wanted to lose MORE than 5 pounds for DC's Christmas challenge and I've been STUCK ever since mid-November and haven't lost ANYTHING, much less 5 pounds.

I feel like I'm treading water (which is much better than sinking to the bottom I suppose), but I need a kick start to reverse the slide. I think exercise could be the kick. So I'm going to the gym tomorrow morning. Even if I don't spend much time there and move slowly on the treadmill due to this unrelenting fatigue. At least it will be a start.

This week's TiSheDo challenge comes from DC's and she has challenged us to avoid restaurants, especially fast-food joints this week. So far so good. I was going to request some exceptions to the challenge (I'm single, so often just stop at a restaurant on the way home to pick up a salad for dinner as one example of what I was thinking), but instead have committed to it.

Whoah God only knows, God makes his plan
The informations unavailable to the mortal man
Were workin our jobs, collect our pay
Believe were gliding down the highway, when in fact were slip sliding away.

Inspiration that lifts me up when I falter

2008-12-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to come home from vacation to see that I had been nominated for a blog award. Thank you Skye, Liz, Natalia, and Pamela for the nomination. These bloggers -- and the rest of you, too -- truly are absolutely key to my success in changing my habits from horrid to healthy (actually my habits are healthier -- not all the way healthy yet). It's definitely a journey and I need a lot of help. I'm grateful every day to have discovered this terrific community of people who are traveling the same road I am and are so willing to offer the encouragement I need.

THANK YOU!!

Scenes from NM

2008-12-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

I'm back from a great vacation. I met my cousin in Phoenix and we drove to southeastern New Mexico to visit some cousins and our uncle. Southeastern NM is where my cousins' parents and my mother grew up and so even those of us who have moved away have "roots" there. On the way to Clovis, NM, we stopped at the Bosque del Apache wildlife preserve (my Phoenix cousin is an avid birdwatcher) and the Salinas Pueblo Missions. We also took a trip to the Gruya Wildlife Reserve which is right on the Texas/New Mexico border and the Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge in Muleshoe Texas.

Our first day in Clovis, we experienced what the locals call a "blue norther." It's when the north wind is so stinkin' cold and snowy that it turns everything/everyone "blue." Quite a weather difference for visitors from Phoenix/Sacramento.

I tried to watch what I ate while I was gone, but I definitely enjoyed the local red and green chilis and soapapillas - yummmm. I walked each morning in Clovis (even the morning of the "blue norther" and got in some longer hikes at each of the nature reserves we visited. I'm hoping for a maintain on Monday, but we'll see.

I missed all of you and have lots of blog catching up to do. In the meantime, here are some scenes from New Mexico.

Clovis, NM during "blue norther"

Stone fence built in 1931 by Pop Shaffer at the Shaffer Hotel in Mountainair, NM

A blue heron at the Bosque del Apache

Salinas Pueblo Mission, Mountainair, NM

My 90-year old uncle in front of the schoolhouse that he attended in Rogers, NM

A windmill "farm" in Portales, NM

Cousins enjoying Muleshoe, TX

Happy weekend everyone!

Back where I came from

2008-12-02T13:16:00.001-08:00

Back where I came from weight-wise: My weigh in was yesterday and I lost the 3 pounds that showed up the week before. Whew. I'm no closer to DC's Christmas Challenge goal of 5 pounds, but at least I'm back where I was and I managed that despite the Thanksgiving sweet potatoes. And, I'm feeling strong about reducing the number of empty carbs that I usually eat that is this week's TiSheDo challenge. So far so good. Of course, my receptions and dinner (beware appetizers and alcohol) are ahead of me.

Back where I came from family-wise: I leave tomorrow for a business meeting in southern California, and then I jet off to meet my cousin for a road trip to NM to visit relatives and to see the Bosque del Apache enroute. The Bosque is a wildlife refuge in NM. Hopefully I can get some walking in while at the refuge, because I know I will be indulging in NM Mexican food -- it really is different Mexican food than what I get here in California.

Have a good rest of the week and I'll "see" you all late next week (unless I spend some time at my uncle's on the 'net ... which is entirely possible since there's not much else to do in southeastern NM).