Brain-fuzzed

And now it's Wednesday again.  Seems like the only time I have moments to myself are my days off, but they become filled with chores ....

Today was the MVD trip to get my Travel ID.  Actually, it was an awesome experience!  I went in, bypassed the line of folks who were waiting (about 30 of them!) and walked over, scanned my appointment ticket for 8"40am, and looked around to find a seat where I could see the call board.  There wasn't even time to find the board before I heard the woman call my name, and I was "in".  I showed her my documents, she took my picture and $25, and I was all done and out the door at 8:50am!!  After that it was getting groceries, and I was home by 9:40.  Talk about an easy chores day!

But then I flounder with the rest of my day .... to do something physical? to rest? I ended up cooking a meatloaf and eggs for the next few mornings.  Another attempt at creating a healthier lifestyle.  Soon it will be cooler and I can resume walking after work; that should help too.

I started on my photo albums, going to scan the really great pix or the ones with a story behind them, but as I got them out, I realized that I'm missing an entire photo album - the one that covers 1978-1981.  But then again, I have so many that sorting them out isn't easy!  At first, they were all chronological, but then you add in a second marriage and step kids.  When the divorce happens, you start to pull all the photos that ... well, frankly, all those extra photos weren't necessary.  I shipped them off to the oldest sibling of that family to enjoy. 

But I'm still confuzzled about the missing photos! 

I'm hoping they turn up.

Lifestyle, Update

It's been a few days since I took the time to actually write.  I've been in a mode of taking care of myself, mostly working on my lifestyle changes.  I cut back by 250 calories each day, and have managed to finally drop three pounds -- nothing to really write home about, but every inch of progress is a step in the right direction.

My daily walks. .....  and here's Sadie again, scratching at me to pet her.  She hates when I get in a writing mood.  Or maybe she's so spoiled that she thinks all of my waking hours should be *her* time.  lol

Back to daily walks:  I'm walking 37-40 minutes pushing Sadie in her stroller, we cover nearly 2 miles in that time, and it feels really good to have that accomplishment each day!  At the same time, I'm making sure that the foods I eat put me at a good point on the nutrient scale via the Samsung app.   I've cut back my Diet Coke to one a day.  I'm drinking my Plexus Slim Pink Drink.   How long can I keep this up?  It's not easy but I keep telling myself that I'm eating to live, not living to eat.

After my last checkup, I'm on the borderline of having high blood pressure.  I know that dropping weight, exercise an cutting back on sodium is the answer to keeping it low enough so that I don't have to go on meds. 

So for now I try to remember:    A little progress each day adds up to big results!

The Pug Lady

When you live in a city that welcomes "snow birds", don't try to take yourself out for a meal at 12:30pm on a Sunday after church!  Even at a fast food place, I waited 20 minutes for a meal.  There was a long line at Chipotle, so I didn't hang around (I had groceries in the trunk!)  I opted for a quick Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell.  Not the best meal for me, but .... it was pretty good.  After the long wait!  Sometimes, when we get a sunny day after the week of storms we had, it was easy to forget that there would be others out and about as well.   Not that I had anywhere else I needed to be .... lol

It's been a week of changes for me in my eating habits.  I have been encouraged by reaching my goal of a nutrient score over 80 when I log my foods.  This week, I made 85 three times so far!  I removed carbs from my breakfast and just eat my eggs.  I added an apple and some raw baby carrots to my lunch each day, as well as making sure I drink at least 48 ounces of water during my work day.  That won't be hard to hit now that we're back on track with our normal spring weather -- warm and sunny!

I've also quit focusing on a goal of 12k steps per day, and am actively watching how my FitBit tracks active minutes.  You have to be engaged in your activity for more than 10 minutes for it to count anything toward that number.  Mondays are always more active than any other day, but with changing that focus, Sadie and I head out each evening at 6pm for a long walk.  It's a quick 10 minutes over to the park where I let Sadie run in the grass.  Then it's back into her stroller and off we go for 1.4 miles, circling our neighborhood.  I'm sure if any of the neighbors are like me, they have a nickname for folks if they don't know a real name. 
I'm betting dollars to donuts that I'm "The Pug Lady".  lol 
Many folks wave to me each evening, and that's really nice :)

I'm hoping after all the hard work and better eating, I show improvement on the scale!  While I know it's not good to be measuring success by the scale, it's hard to break a habit so ingrained into us.

Doctor, Doctor....

Gimme the news .....   *sigh*  Old song reference, but ...

A trip to the doc, with 8 months between the last visit resulted in some good and some bad news.   On the good side, my white count was back up again.  And my cholesterol dropped 20 points!  On the bad side, my blood pressure was up.  The doc was concerned that maybe I have "white coat" anxiety, and it goes up when I'm at the doc.   Personally, I think it's related to my caffeine intake.



I've been doing much better on reducing my consumption; Monday thru Weds I only had one Diet Coke, at 2pm each day.   But now that I think back, my Thursday started with over 200 gallons of paint that needed to be processed before I left for the doc's office, so did I slip and have a Diet Coke first off?  Did that set my blood pressure higher???  It will be one of the things I'll be tracking.

I've been investigating "diets".   Keto has too much fat for my body to process with my liver bile issues.  Lowering my carbs has always worked for me in the past, but I need to also reduce sodium and eat more plant based foods.  So I'm going to try the "DASH" diet -- a wider variety of foods, and controlling portions, and greatly reducing my sugar intake.  (Goodbye chocolate, I will miss you!!)

This will easily fit in with the new "Lifestyle Changes" I've been trying to do.  to keep. 
One day at a time ......

For today's numbers:  14,758 steps today, which included a 34 minute walk pushing Sadie in her stroller.  Tomorrow will be more walking, along with some housework!

Hello, Weekend!

Lifestyle Change Day 9

Here I am, 9 days into the changes, and ... it's going well. 

I've not lost any weight, but I'm feeling better than I did before. 
I'm trying to stay positive about the changes, and hope that other things will follow when my body and hormones adjust to the new eating style.  At least, that's what I'm telling myself. For now.

Sunday, with the Superbowl, I exceeded my Diet Coke limit, and treated myself to a small plate of home made nachos.  Which nearly started a fire in my microwave! 

I had this paper plate left over from Christmas, red with a gold trim.  I wasn't thinking the trim had any metal in it, but I should have guessed.  I couldn't figure out what the smell was as I was melting cheese on my nachos!  But back to nachos, it was just 1 serving of tortilla chips, a little melted cheese, then chopped avocado and tomatoes on top.  Which tasted delish!

My step counts were down that day as well, because of the rain.  But they're back up over 10K again this week.  My food counts are recorded and each day it's been over 85 in the nutrient content, and that makes me happy.

I see my doctor tomorrow for an annual checkup.  I know she'll say something about my weight.  And maybe a lecture if my cholesterol is up, or my blood pressure.

SuperBowl LIII

Here we are, another Superbowl game to watch.  Most years, it's the National Anthem, the commercials and the half time show that get all the attention.  As well they should!  Some of the singers we've had in the past made ... history.  It was nice to see (and hear) Gladys Knight singing it this year.  Personally, I prefer people to sing it as written.  I understand as an artist, they want to add their own personality to the song, and her version was just fine for me.  Always nice for me to see the "oldies but goodies" be out there singing!  Mostly, before they're all gone. :/

The half time show :  Maroon 5 and Adam Levine, wow, good job!  I like his music, always have.  Didn't know the other two singers, but I don't follow that genre of tunes.  Adam is a great showman, and seems to be in tune with his fans.  I admire that.

I just saw the Toyota Supra commercial the Pinball Wizard, I liked it!  And a Michael Buble commercial... yay :)  I wonder what the favorite commercial will turn out to be?

One last crazy football fact:  I was dating my second husband Superbowl XXIII , 30 years ago!  It was 49ers but I don't remember who they played.   Did they win?   Yes!  20-16 against the Bengals.  I cheated with Google. hahaha

Even though it was the weekend, and raining, I made an effort to get in a walk - not a Sadie stroll, but a real walk for me.  I was able to do three 20+ minute walks in my two days, and am counting that as success!  My eating was a bit over what I do during the week, but that's how it works out on a weekend.  After Subway for lunch, and veggies for dinner on Saturday, I had a late lunch/early dinner of cheese pizza.  I wanted something warm and comforting what with all the rain, and even though it was sprinkling, forced that final walk with Sadie!  I'm wondering what the scale will show in the morning!

I spent part of my day preparing lunches and dinner meals for the week.  I baked some eggs for breakfasts, and cooked up some hamburgers on my Foreman grill so they're ready when I come home from work. (I rarely feel like cooking during the week!)

I wonder what this week will hold, but am keeping a positive attitude - so far!

Lifestyle Change Day 3

Accountability is a good thing!  But sometimes life gets in the way of actually making the time to fill ya'll in.  Both Tues and Weds were good days:  Tues was 13K steps, but today was only 9k.  Sometimes work is that way, rather than doing, I spent a great deal of my time today having "meaningful conversations" with employees while also doing some training.  Tomorrow is another day for more steps!

I track my food intake on two separate apps, mostly because of the different information I can get with each.  On SparkPeople, which I've used forever, I'm tracking potassium, sodium and Vitamin C.  I also use my Samsung Health app on the phone, and yes, I can get those same numbers - but only if I eat servings in half or full size, and I am sometimes more precise than that. For example, I quarter my potatoes, bake them, and only have 3 quarters in a meal.   The reason that I like the Samsung app for tracking is because it gives me a nutrient quotient as a goal.  The nutrients in foods based on a 100% scale and both Tuesday and Wednesday, I got 85% !!  I was thrilled with that.  What I'm eating is good wholesome foods, not processed stuff, and that's what I need.

I've cut way back on the Diet Coke.  Now, I look forward to my little "treat" at 2pm - which is when I really need a pick-me-up!  But I'm having a harder time kicking sugar's ass off my plate, so to speak.  When things get stressful at work, the first thing I want is chocolate.  Because it's soothing? or have I acclimated myself to that choice?   Probably both.  Yesterday was a walk from my boss's boss's boss's boss.  Yes, 4 levels of bosses making walking around in my area, discussing things that we should be doing.  And the whole time, I'm wishing I had a chocolate.  I didn't, and I survived!  So I'm counting that as a success! 



Since I'm at the age where I don't need to make excuses, just list reasons, the reason I didn't post yesterday as I was behind in a long overdue email to my BFF.  I discovered this because when I got a new phone in December, I didn't realize that I needed to actually set notifications to see phone calls and voice mails.  When I finally figured this out last weekend, I had a voice mail from her! 

Sometimes, I'm really that blonde -- because that sound better than saying I'm that old!! haha

Lifestyle Change Day 1

In my quest for a healthier me, it began today. 
Changes to diet and exercise, and increasing my water intake. 



Accountability report:  Water intake 88 oz.  Goal 100 oz.  Not bad for the first day

Food intake:  No candy, despite the chocolates on the desk in the pretty jar.  Eggs for breakfast, turkey wrap for lunch, broccoli, ground beef patty and baked potato for supper. I also added in a Naked Juice Power-C, to boost up my immune system - lots of colds going 'round.

Exercise:  Stretching for Seniors via YouTube, cute Australian accent on a young, handsome man.  Then some weight lifting for arms while watching the sun set.  11K steps recorded on my FitBit.

Caffeine:  One Diet Coke to break the lull at 2pm, one Diet Coke with dinner.  Didn't need the second one at dinner, water would have done it, except for the massive headache that was building all day.


I started on the Plexus Pink Drink today, as well.  I'm still not sure what it will do my digestive system.  I couldn't handle it full on when I tried it during the summer.  I'm hoping that starting slower will help a bit. 

I don't feel like I was deprived today.  Well, not much.  I sure would have enjoyed a nice sweet chocolate pick-me-up when things got stressful at work, but I powered through the craving.

I'm going to resist stepping on the scale in the morning, because this is more about healthy than it is weight loss.  Ok, I'll be honest, it's about weight loss too, but I don't think that should be the only goal.  Because I could lose weight by not eating, but that puts other systems in jeopardy, and this needs to be about being a healthier me!

So here's to having a successful tomorrow.

Wishful Goals ?

Week after week, I keep telling myself "it's time to get back on track", and each week goes by with no progress made.  Then I caught a cold, our temps dropped, and another five pounds seemed to jump onto my hips and ass! 

On Wednesday, I dropped into the gym to make some time on the treadmill.  30 minutes @ 3.0 incline = 1.4 miles.  While that's not my best effort, and I vowed to do better, but I didn't seem to be able to force myself to head to the gym on Thurs or Friday. 

One of the issues is they have a new locker room cleaning schedule; there's a male cleaning staff and the hours are 9-Noon.  Makes it impossible to be comfortable changing into gym clothes, and I can't exercise in jeans! 

This week, I get blood drawn for the usual check up, so my commitment needs to be on increasing my water intake, making sure I get 30 minutes of walking, either at the gym, or pushing Sadie in her stroller, and watching what I eat, including keeping my sodium down. 



Back in 2013, I worked very hard and lost 40 pounds -- and over the course of time, it's all come back.  Mostly because I stopped going to the gym. 

There are folks who start with "counting calories", but for me, I don't think all calories are the same.  If they were, the keto diet wouldn't be so successful.  So with the info I've gathered, I think I have two issues (not including my age):  insulin resistance and a hormonal imbalance.  I've tried the Plexus TriPlex but my system doesn't handle all of it in such large doses.  This is the week where I'm going to try to increase some of.  I have been able to get up to taking two ProBio5 each evening; now it's deciding if I can handle the BioCleanse or the Pink Drink.  We'll have to see how Monday goes!

I'm recording all of this here to use it as my accountability. 
And when I'm successful, maybe it will be an inspiration to someone else!!

Planet Fitness

I'm a member of Planet Fitness.  I chose this gym because it's 2 minutes from work, I can dash over on my lunch hour to get a bit of cardio in.  Today, because I was done with work at 10am, I headed over to the gym and hopped on the treadmill.  I purposefully covered the digital display so I wouldn't be distracted with numbers, or more specifically ... how much time has gone? and is it enough time that I can stop?!!!   I set the parameters for 55 minutes and just let it go.  The first time I got the urge to check the time, I was past 30 minutes.

And that's where the I hit "the exercise high".  I felt like I could keep on going ... and going ... and going.    I added another 5 minutes to make it an even 60, and to make sure I got past the 3 mile mark.   The Beach Boys came over the headset and I cranked up the speed so that my running pace would match the beat of the music.

With a mix of 80s head bangin' stuff, to some country tunes, one of the last ones was Jason Aldean's "The Only Way I Know".   Really strikes a chord with me, because I was raised on country music and that's just how it's always been for me:

"That’s the only way I know

Don’t stop 'til everything’s gone

Straight ahead, never turn round

Don’t back up, don’t back down

Full throttle, wide open

You get tired and you don’t show it

Dig a little deeper when you think you can’t dig no more

That’s the only way I know"

And it spurred me on, finished it out at 65 minutes, 3.25 miles.
Then I hit the machines for some more leg work.
If work hadn't called and interrupted me, I might have done even more!


As I get older, I have come to find that losing weight is a very real struggle.  Because it is, about two weeks ago, I decided that weight loss wasn't going to be my thing, and put it out of my head.  I changed my thoughts toward staying healthy.  And amazingly enough, I've now lost 8 lbs in the past two weeks!   So was I stressing about it so much that I was hindering progress?  Don't know, don't care.  I just keep going so that I'll maintain some muscle, some balance, and some good health.

Start Now!

 

It took me nearly two years to get up

off the couch, so to speak, and join a

gym again.  But I started.

You can't wait for "the right moment"

which for me would have been some

other company taking over the gym

that's next door to work, that closed up,

because having a gym that close made

it easy to slip in during lunch break, left me with no excuses not to dash in for a workout

after work was done.  But it's still an empty building.

Two weeks ago, I joined Planet Fitness.  And I'm happy that I finally did.  Sure, there's all the benefits to working out and such, but I just like how I feel when I've a)  taken control of something and b) when I'm done with a workout, the physiology of whatever chemicals are doing their thing inside my body leaves me with a good feeling.  That sounds wordy and nerdy, but like they used to say "If it feels good, do it!"

Friday's workout was 1/4 mile on the elliptical.  My thighs were beginning to burn with the effort, and since it was lunchtime, and I still had another 3 hours of work to go, I decided not to push things.  After, I still did 1.25 on the treadmill, then slipped into the Hip Adduction machine, working those inner thigh muscles.  Back in the day, I could do 30 with the weight set at 135.  I did 25 @ 110 lbs.  That was enough for me do go "whoa" ... and I am still feeling it on Saturday afternoon!

Saturday morning, up with the birds, and hit the gym at 7am.  Got my 1.5 miles on the treadmill in 26:30.   I'm slowly getting there, but to increase the speed much more, I'll have to lose some of these excess pounds.  Which is why I hopped back on that Hip Adduction machine, set it at 90lbs and did 20 reps.  More of a muscle memory thing that a real workout, but I could feel the stress on my muscles!   Then I hit the Hip Abduction machine, working the outer thighs, 20 reps, 90lbs (Didn't want to overdo anything!)  Found the Tricep machine, 20 reps, 40lbs.  I could have done more, I'm thinking, because there isn't that intense burn from a "new" workout.  But that's ok, there's still time.

The important thing is ... I started.

Busy Monday

What a busy Monday!

Four hours into my shift at my BigBox store, it's time for lunch.  But I don't stop to eat, I head to the gym and hit the elliptical trainer for 33 minutes.   Back to work and boogie through the rest of my day to get it over with quick.  When my shift is up, it's back to the gym for another 33 minutes on the elliptical trainer.






Once home, it's time to cook up meals for the week.  I grilled 4 burgers, boiled a dozen eggs, and then fixed up my salad with chicken breast on it.  Kind of boring, but ... it gets the job done.


I'm anticipating a good week, even busy ones can be good!  I'm back and forth on the progress of weight loss, but I'm not slacking in my calorie counting or in my exercise routine.

Now I'm ready to watch some Longmire, then Antiques Roadshow!

My thought for the day:

Being Better

When you are struggling 

just look ahead and hold your head up high 

it's not a race to compete with others 

it's a race to compete with yourself!! 

You got this!!!"

If you have ever struggled with weight loss,

or keeping your commitment to the gym,

just remember that the only person

you need to do better than

is yourself.

After yesterday's disappointing weigh in

(yes, expected, but it still 'hurts' ) 

I got myself busy in the gym.

I did elliptical for 20 minutes on lunch

then went back after work 

for another 20 on the treadmill

and a whole lotta arms work.

I just need to remember that I'm 

not competing against any one else,

I cannot expect to be like

"the skinny hot one" at the gym.

I can only do better today

than I did yesterday.

Be a Happy Gym Rat! 

This little sign made me chuckle....

"At the Gym!"

Ready, Set, GO!

Weigh In Weds

Weigh in Wednesday - yep, that was today!  Down two pounds, not much in the scope of things, but its a process, a long trek, a lifestyle.

 

I had another session with my trainer, and it went well.  I'm feeling awesome, but my arms and legs feel like spaghetti noodles.  *grin* that's ok, well worth the price. 

There are days, however, 

when I don't feel like exercising.  

And that's when I check my "Top 100" list.

Here are a few reasons why I need to exercise: 

• Because you made a commitment to yourself
• Because you're tired of starting over
• Because there will always be another wedding, vacation or reunion
• Because you're not a quitter
• Because it improves your cholesterol
• Because it boosts your metabolism
• Because it prevents age-related muscle loss
• Because if you can do this, you can do anything
• Because a fit body is a healthy body
• Because it beats sitting on the couch
• Because  everyone has at least 10 minutes to spare
• Because you want to be stronger than your excuses
• Because not working out isn't working out for you
• Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip

Yep, I made a commitment to me, because I'm worth it, it's good for my health, and frankly, not working out isn't working for me.   I gotta be moving in order to reach my goals!