Two Weeks Behind- YIKES!

It's past time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 9 and the beginning of Week 10 BUT I'm just in time for the end of Week 10 and beginning of Week 11. Confused? Me too.

I had a couple of wrenches thrown into play the last couple of weeks. During week 9 we had family visiting and, while I did plan the menu and kept it organic/natural/healthy, I paid no attention to how much went into my mouth. We were having way too much fun for that! We also did quite a lot of sight seeing so when you couple that with walking/running the dogs first thing in the morning- I walked many, many miles that week.

But the BEST thing of all that week? Well, besides the fact that we had family visiting? Ok, get this: we went to the farmer's market on Saturday morning and we parked on the third level of a parking garage across the street. Of course, we NEVER consider taking the elevator so we hit the stairs. Three flights. Going down, not a problem. Going up? Are you ready? NOT A PROBLEM!!! What?! That's right folks! I had no trouble walking up those three flights of stairs! This is a FIRST!!! The exercise is paying off! I am getting fit! I was leading the line going up too so the pace was not slow. And I made it! And I didn't have to stop or think I was going to pass out or have to stop and rest at the top before walking to the car! AND I could still breathe and talk! 

Then Week 10 hit and so did a MAJOR case of hay-fever. UGH. It has interfered with EVERYTHING except walking the dogs. It's rather difficult to exert oneself when you're hacking up a lung and stopping to blow your nose every 10 seconds. My hope for this week is to begin the Synergy plan which is an eight week commitment.

Nothing will change with the food as that has become our daily nutrition at this point.

I'm still staying off the scale because I'm sick of letting it rule my mood about losing weight. I hate being ruled by anything, especially a inanimate object. There's no sense in setting myself up for failure. However, just knowing that my fitness level has increased has made for a tremendous uplift in the mood!

That's it in a nutshell! How are y'all doing?

Summer Sizzle- Week 4 Update; Week 5 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 3 and the beginning of Week 4-

It's been a crazy week! Stripping and painting furniture, the garden and then there's the OPPRESSIVE HEAT that made it's appearance on Friday and has failed to leave. UGH.


The bad news (besides the OPPRESSIVE HEAT) is that I only checked in on myfitnesspal.com a couple of times.


The good news is- I lost another pound.


The bad news is---there is OPPRESSIVE HEAT and my running self is not acclimating to it.


The good news is- my speed walking self has acclimated to it.


The bottom line is:

• I felt quite liberated not checking in to myfitnesspal.com every single day.
• I ate only healthy foods with the exception of those dang dark chocolate covered edamame they sell at Trader Joe's.
• I'm not running right now but my walking is SPEEDY QUICK and  I get at least 3 to 5 miles in every single day!
• I did drink the weekly challenge water.
• I did lose another pound.

I did track my exercise via my GPS on my phone----

• Monday: forgot to track but I'm thinking it was about 50 minutes
• Tuesday: walked 56 minutes; burned 624 calories
• Wednesday: Walked 54; burned 591 calories
• Thursday: walked 69 minutes; burned 755 calories
• Friday: walked 39; burned 427 calories
• Saturday: walked 31 minutes; burned 339 calories
• Sunday: walked 31 minutes; burned 339 calories

The weekends are not about exercise around here- they are my recovery days. And I plan to keep them that way.

My focus now is NOT on tracking. While it works well for many (and it did for me about 2 years ago) it has now become a tool for making me obsess about my weight. This is not healthy. I've decided to obsess on the things that make life grand instead of that which holds me back and makes me feel bad about myself and my life. That is not what this journey is supposed to be about. At all.

One thing that this journey is about is learning more and more about myself and so I count this lesson learned as a blessing. Sometimes we just have to change things up to keep it fresh and keep it from being a downer.

I do enjoy tracking my walking (and running when the OPPRESSIVE HEAT lets up AND when I lose another 50 pounds or so) because I like trying to beat my time.

I'm not really disappointed that I'm not running right now. It's all good. For those who are not 130 pounds overweight I'm sure running is not that big a deal. For a 54 year old who is 130 pounds overweight, it's frustrating as hell when you factor in the OPPRESSIVE HEAT. I'm not quitting. I'm postponing. I still plan on being able to run that 5k. It's not until November. 

I'm not suggesting that anyone else stop tracking- I'm saying that I have to keep finding what works for me and implement it which sometimes mean stopping something else. The main thing is that I keep going!

Week 5 - (begin July 1) - LOSE 2 lbs THIS WEEK (and post pics/measurements if doing so)
Yep, holiday and all - this is the goal.
Don't question it - just do it. The reason this is the goal this week is to help us remember that the 4th of July doesn't give us free license to abandon all our diet and fitness goals. Yes, it's a holiday - but it's not a holiday meant to celebrate how many hot dogs and hamburgers our bodies can consume. This week will hopefully redirect us a bit - knowing the goal is a 2 pound loss, maybe we can steer clear of old habits of overindulgence during the holiday and make good on our promise to ourselves for better health ALL 365 days of the year!

I'm not as concerned about the 4th as I would be if this was Christmas...or Thanksgiving- because the food I have planned for the 4th is on my Gerson/RAW daily plan for July! Of course, time will tell, eh? :)

Thanks, y'all, for putting up with my constantly changing attempts at losing this weight and getting healthyhealthyhealthy. I am feeling fitter- I can do so much more than I could last year. It's all working, in it's own time. But I do so appreciate all of y'all sticking around with me! Your support and encouragement means more than you will ever know!

Also, I won a book from Cindy at For One Another and it arrived last week. AMAZING. WONDERUL. THOUGHT PROVOKING. LIFE CHANGING. All of those words describe this book. I definitely recommend reading the book whether you have weight to lose or not. And no, I'm not getting anything for mentioning this. It's just a really good read-- My Big Bottom Blessing by Teasi Cannon. Get it. Read it. It's great!

OH! I almost forgot- you can see my healthy recipe HERE!

OH AGAIN! Don't forget to check out my giveaway! Just click the button at the top of my sidebar!

Have a fantastic week y'all! Happy 4th!

Garden Goodness

I'm trying a few Gerson recipes before my July 1 experiment begins just to...just because...well, because I'm jumping the gun. As usual.

I tried the Zucchini and Potato Bake last week. It was delicious! I served broccoli burgers with it- not a Gerson recipe but so good! I had to more than double the recipes to feed the gang!

The veggies were not from my garden but they were all local and organic-

Once the veggies are prepared, it's time to layer--

The broccoli burgers were a cinch-- just process--

then form patties and bake--

Viola!

Now, from my backyard garden---GREEN TOMATOES--

from which I prepared---

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES!

A family favorite around here! And yes, it is a movie. But in the south, it's also a scrumptious side dish! I served these with string beans (from the garden) and potatoes, and grilled flounder fillets AND totally forgot to take a picture of the meal! For those of you who count calories, as far as I can tell, one friend green tomato had about 74 calories in it. Well worth it too! And I'm not telling you how many I ate. Sigh.

I don't have the recipe for the fried green tomatoes because it's one of those recipes that I just do- I don't follow a written recipe.

However, here are the recipes for the casserole and the burgers!

Zucchini and Potato Bake (2 servings)
(this recipe came from Healing the Gerson Way)

1 lb zucchini
1 lb potatoes
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
10 oz yogurt (I didn't use the yogurt because I thought I had plain but it was vanilla..oops)

Finely slice zucchini, potatoes and onions. Place alternate layers of each in casserole dish, adding a sprinkling of crushed garlic between layers. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half. Add second garlic clove to yogurt. When dish is cooked, spread yogurt on top.


Broccoli Burgers (makes 4 burgers)
(this recipe came from One Green Planet)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dry couscous (I used brown rice because I forgot to buy couscous)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (I used a vidalia onion)
2 tsp ground cumin (Ick...I skipped this ingredient)
1- 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 TBS sesame tahini (I didn't use this because do you know how much tahini sauce cost??????)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (don't like panko, used my gluten free bread crumbs)

There is Tahini Dressing for the burger, which I didn't make, but here's that part:

1/3 cup sesame tahini
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup plus 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 tsp sea salt


Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a small pot, bring the water and couscous to a boil. (I skipped these 3 steps because I just made some brown rice and used that)
• Remove from heat immediately and allow the couscous to sit in the pot for 10 minutes to soak up the water.
• Steam the broccoli in a steamer for 5-7 minutes
• In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion and scallions, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens.
• Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the cumin.
• Place couscous, broccoli, onion mix, chickpeas and sesame tahini in a food processor and combine.
• Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs.
• Form it into patties and place the patties on a cookie sheet--I sprayed a little organic olive oil on the pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes, turning the patties over halfway through. You’ll know they are done when the tops begin to brown.
• To make the tahini sauce, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined, for about 30 seconds.
• Top your burgers with the sauce and anything else you like on a burger and ENJOY!

I have discovered a website called Calorie Count that is good for determining the caloric value of recipes. Using the site, the zucchini/potato bake has about 241 calories per serving and the burgers have about 161 WITHOUT the sauce.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

To Count or Not to Count---THAT is the Question

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows...Hahahahaha, nah, I'm joking.

What I'm talking about is counting. Counting calories. A lot of us do it. Few of us love it.

Some of us count calories as one tool in our efforts to lose weight. It's one way to see what our intake actually is- well, when we're completely honest about each and every little morsel that crosses our lips.

Counting our calories can be enlightening when it shows us not only how much but exactly what we're ingesting. It can be an aid in helping us adjust our daily eating plans. Counting calories can also frustrate the hell out of us when we go over our limit for a day. Or more. Which can lead to another day of overeating from the frustration of seeing that we overate the day before and so on. It can become a vicious cycle if we're not careful. And if our willpower is lacking.  

And now, as with most things, counting calories is the subject of a debate.

To count or not to count.

Brandon over at The Healthy Advocate believes that counting calories is a waste of time. He says that if you develop some healthy lifestyle habits, your body will 'count' the calories you need for you. Brandon suggests that we:

• Get a restful night's sleep for at least 6 hours
• Cut the sugar and the grains
• Lower our stress levels
• Get some sunlight
• Exercise

Hallie at Daily Bites also makes the case for not counting calories. Her reasoning stems from her personal struggle to try to gain weight and she found that counting calories reminds her of the time in her life that each day was a struggle just to get through it. She discovered that finding a balance made all the difference and that assigning a number to food is not the best or healthiest idea.

I get what these guys are saying. And I've made pretty much all of the changes. But my scale continues to be stationary. Surely not counting calories wouldn't make that much difference in either direction...???

I do know that I can get so consumed with counting the calories that I lose sight of my goal- getting fit and healthy. 

According to WebMD , the concept of counting calories came about near the start of the 1900s. It seems that there was a scientist, Wilbur Atwater, who claimed that if you put food into a “bomb calorimeter” and burned it you could measure the ash and discover how much energy had been released. This could also be a measure of how much energy was in the food. Once this idea gained momentum, people started counting calories- which is figuring out how many calories are consumed with different types of food and then burned off while taking part in different activities.

So, are calories important? Sure. They’re just not the whole picture and we’re cheating ourselves if we think they are.

We all know that the type of calorie we choose will determine the effect on our bodies.  But, is it necessary to COUNT OUR CALORIES?

All I can figure is, IF it works for you- then YES, it’s necessary. IF it doesn’t work for you, then NO, it’s not necessary.  The main thing is not to get bogged down with the counting and realizing that counting the calories is simply one tool of helping some of us to lose the weight.

Like it or not, there is not one magic tip/idea/method/tool/pill that’s going to get us to our healthy goal weight. Nothing. We have to do the research, try a myriad of methods, sweatsweatsweat, etc. until we each find the thing(s) that work for us on an individual basis.

If you really HATE counting those calories but want to be accountable for your caloric intake, try these tips:

• Eat smaller portions- yes, I know. We’re all doing this already. But look at your plate during your next meal at home and see where you can cut down. How large is your plate? Could you use a smaller one? (No fair if you pile the food up high in the shape of a mountain). 
• What food is taking up the most space on your plate? If it’s protein or carbs, change it to veggies. Choose foods that use more calories to digest and metabolize.  If you eat foods that require a lot of work to digest, you can save yourself calories like foods high in fiber.
• Eat the right kinds of calories. In other words, steer clear of the candy, sodas, sweets, desserts and take in more fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Not only will you save calories, you’ll increase your health dramatically. 

So, all that wordiness to say- I am now going to try an experiment. I will continue counting calories through the month of June. But, beginning July 1, I will not count calories. I will, instead, be extremely mindful of the TYPES of calories I consume. I will keep a daily written journal of the foods I eat just so I can share with y’all at the end of July. 

I will be following a watered down version of the Gerson Therapy plan and a RAW diet. For 31 days. Without counting calories. I know that counting calories and eating MOSTLY healthy is not working to get the scale moving. I’m beginning to think it’s not doing so much for my health and fitness either.

I know most people don’t usually hear of the Gerson Therapy until someone they know (or themselves) have cancer but it’s not just a good idea once one has gotten sick. It’s good for general health and prevention- the detox alone should prove quite beneficial. Though there's no way I'm going to juice 13 times every day. Nope.

What I really want to find out is:

• Is it important to count calories or just to make my calories count OR a combination of the two.
• Will following a watered down version of the Gerson plan and eating RAW make a difference in my health and/or weight.

Yeah, I know it’s not scientific. But it’s what I’m going to try--I don't even know if I can stick to it for an entire month (and it was really stupid to pick one with 31 days). I will still check in with the Summer Sizzle Challenge- I wouldn’t let Rochelle down for anything! She’s such an inspiration to all of us! As a matter of fact, I doubt I would have come up with this plan if it weren’t for the challenge. 

Oh, and I’m not planning on eating anything and everything while waiting on July 1 to get here. 

Though it is tempting.

Summer Sizzle- Week 2 Update; Week 3 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 2 and the beginning of Week 3-

More like the summer fizzle stay the same.

I'm over it people. It's time for a drastic change. I think I've come up with it, but that's for tomorrow's post.

I'm staying under myfitnesspal's recommended daily calories. But I'm not staying at 1200. O, hell no. And I have no idea why it won't put 6/11 up there- the total that day was 1726. Today's is missing for obvious reasons.

I didn't have any trouble with the 7 hours of exercise- that was a cinch. Though, for the most part, it was just walking and/or running.

And except for today where I missed it by 15 minutes--- oh well...

Next week's weekly challenge is to try a new fitness activity or exercise equipment. I hope to do that via joining the senior center (you can read about that HERE) and/or a new DVD I just purchased- The Biggest Loser- cardio max.

I didn't stick to the menu that I planned last week for two reasons- a couple of those recipes were ridiculous with the prep time being all day long and part of the night AND, I didn't want to. Stubborn much? Oh yeah. Definitely.

Anyway, there's a big change coming soon. Stay tuned.

I'll leave you with this clip from The Cosby Show- love me some Bill Cosby! Now, you can watch the whole thing, but the best part begins at 6:45- where Cliff talks about his Father's Day gifts over the years and then about how mothers get better gifts because they are better at promoting themselves! Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Sizzle Summer Slim Down: Update- Week 1/Goals- Week 2

 Week 1 is a done deal. Our focus was to be on getting back into the habit (or getting into it for the first time) of tracking our food intake. This is not a problem for me- it's one of the few things that I can/will/do, do.

But the scale didn't move one iota.

I think it was due to too many of these:

Followed by too little of this:

Which didn't burn enough of these:

The caloric intake was under what myfitnesspal.com recommends for me. It was also under the 1500 that I was going to set for myself. But now I'm thinking that I have to go back to the 1200 daily calories if I expect to lose any weight at all.

The exercise has to change also (That day with no exercise? It was raining like crazy and not one time did I think to do the Shred--my brilliance astounds me at times.). It's going to have to go like this:

• walk either Tucker or Strider
• walk whichever dog didn't go the first time out (Tucker doesn't enjoy walking with Strider)
• go back out for a training run
• 30 Day Shred, level 2 OR Tae Bo OR Yoga Booty Ballet (will probs mix it up)
• Get myself over to the senior center and join (inner debate to come)

Yes. It's going to be a huge pain in the rear.
Yes. I have to do it anyway.
No. I've not lost my mind.

But I've also not lost any weight. And that sucks. Completely. Totally. Without a doubt. It sucks.

Water intake was fantastic! Wish that was all it took to get the job done!

 So this week we are supposed to focus on exercise. We are to try to get in 6 hours for the week. I'm hoping this won't be a problem since I have to change what I'm doing so drastically.

Also this week, I am going to try a little menu planning. I'm going to try a few new RAW recipes. Here's the menu for this week:

MONDAY: Zucchini spaghetti (gluten free)

TUESDAY: Sweet n’ Creamy Tomato Soup (RAW) and RAW Fajitas

WEDNESDAY: Portobello Mushroom Burger (Vegetarian/gluten free)

THURSDAY: Spinach and Raw Mushroom Quiche

FRIDAY: RAW Tacos

SATURDAY: Baked Broccoli Burgers (Vegetarian and gluten free)

I'm setting up a page tab for a list of all the participants in case anyone would like to visit and throw some much needed encouragement their way- there's no doubt in my mind that any and all encouragement is more than welcome and greatly appreciated!

Have a great week y'all! 

Stupid Sleep Cycle

I have discovered that one not-a-good-idea eating habit I have is eating to stay awake. How silly is that? Pretty darn silly.

I think I already knew this but have only recently allowed it to be recognized. And, of course, once recognized, something had to be done. So, I started going to bed earlier. The problem is, I'm ready for bed now around 7:00 pm.

Seriously, I make myself wait until it gets dark before I go to bed. I don't have any trouble sleeping but I started getting up way too early. If the first number in the time is a 3 or a 4, it's way too early to get out of bed. Tucker won't even get up that early.

Basically, the problem is, when I stay up until 10 or 11, I eat to keep myself awake.  When I go to bed as soon as I am sleepy, I awaken at one of those ungodly hours. When I awaken at one of those ungodly hours, I get sleepy earlier.

See what I mean?

I've had to call my will power into play, but it is so unreliable. It works sometimes and doesn't work other times. And I never know whether it's going to be on or off on any given night.

This is much better than a few years ago when I would wake up in the middle of the night and go into the kitchen. While there I would eat something sweet, usually, like ice cream, and then go back to bed. How stupid.

When I go to bed too early and awaken at 3 or 4 something, I just stay in bed and try to make myself relax or go back to sleep--which is not that easy since I've already had 7 hours of sleep at that point. At least there is no more getting up and going into the kitchen for something sweet to eat. As a matter of fact, I'm never ready for food of any type until after my run/walk.

I suppose I'll have to take the good with the bad here, again. It's good that I don't get up in the wee hours and eat but it's bad that I have to eat something to stay awake when I am sleepy. 

Any ideas/tips/tricks on breaking this vicious cycle will be greatly appreciated!

Anyone? 

Summer Sizzle Slim Down Challenge

I found a summer challenge! Thanks to my friend, Julie, at Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise, NOT...but learning.

Rochelle (thankyouthankyouthankyou) at Does My Butt Make This Blog Look Fat? is hosting the Summer Sizzle Slim Down and it starts TODAY!

I think this challenge will be a good one for me. I don't take it very well when people try to browbeat me into losing the weight- or anything else for that matter. It just ticks me off and I turn away from the challenge. Rochelle's challenge isn't like that at all!

Here are the guidelines:

1. Take a couple of pictures. A full body shot and a close up of your face. You don't have to post it on your blog but take them anyway so you can see the difference in September! (I'll do it but I won't post until AFTER the challenge)
2. Take measurements. Measure the basics- upper arms, calf, thighs, waist, hips, bust, neck...you can (but don't have to) post these updates once a month on: June 3, July 1, August, 5 and Sept. 2. (I will do this and keep track on myfitnesspal.com)
3. Weigh in weekly. You pick your own weigh in day but post all updates on Sundays. (I will go ahead and weigh in on Sundays and post it on MyFitnessPal.com. I will post a challenge update of the week on the blog)

Rochelle also has weekly challenges set up to help everyone develop some good habits that will surely lead to health and fitness! You can just try them for a week or keep them as part of your health and fitness routine. As Rochelle says: "And if you can do them for one week- why not two weeks? Why not three?"

Here are the WEEKLY CHALLENGES

Week 1 - (begin June 3) - "WRITE IT ALL DOWN" (and post pics/measurements if doing so)
I will be tracking EVERY MORSEL on MyFitnessPal.com. I used livestrong.com last challenge but MyFitnessPal.com has a few things that I like better. I'll post about this later. I took a break from challenges for a while because I got sick and tired of tracking the food. I'm back on it now. It DOES make a difference. As Rochelle says: "but I also know that when people DO track, they are more inclined to not eat crap because who wants to write 5 Snickers on their log?"

Week 2 - (begin June 10) - "SIX HOURS OF EXERCISE"
It doesn't matter what you're doing just MOVE IT for 6 hours throughout the week. Get those 6 hours in any way you can- break it into small segments or go for an hour every day. Whatever you do, just MOVE!

Week 3 - (begin June 17) - TRY A NEW FITNESS ACTIVITY OR PIECE OF EQUIPMENT 
I already have something planned for this week. We'll see how it goes!The purpose here is to get us to try something new. Step out of that comfort zone. It'll also keep us from getting bored!

Week 4 - (begin June 24) - 100 oz OF WATER AND SHARE A FAVORITE HEALTHY RECIPE
 I should be 3 weeks into a RAW diet for the summer and have some awesome recipes to share!

Week 5 - (begin July 1) - LOSE 2 lbs THIS WEEK (and post pics/measurements if doing so)
 Well, this one will be interesting. That's for sure. Rochelle hopes that this will help everyone realize that a holiday is not a license to take a break from our health and fitness goals.

Week 6 - (begin July 8) - VEGETARIAN WEEK
This will, hopefully, be an easy one. IF I stuck with the RAW diet all summer.  

Week 7 - (begin July 15) - COMMIT TO AND SIGN UP FOR A 5K
Ok this one will be easy on the commitment part and difficult on the sign up. I plan to run (maybe walk) a 5k on Thanksgiving Day in Charleston. We can't sign up until the fall. 

Week 8 - (begin July 22) - EMBRACE A FITNESS FEAR
Not sure what my fitness fear is. But if I have one, I'll find it and face it!  

Week 9 - (begin July 29) - NO SUGAR (unless it's all natural) AND NO SNACKING AFTER DINNER
This one should  be a cinch since we already eat only organic, natural, minimally processed sugar or honey and I don't snack after dinner. WooHoo! Already on top of this one! LOL

Week 10 - (begin August 5) - SET A FITNESS/WEIGHT LOSS GOAL FOR YOURSELF (and post pics/measurements if doing so)
This one will be a definite challenge. Maybe this is my fear? :)

Week 11 - (begin August 12) -  TELL US HOW ARE YOU FEELING AND SHOW YOUR WEIGHT LOSS IN FOOD
This will be a general update on things we've learned from the beginning of challenge to this point. Have we pushed our bodies? Have we learned anything about our eating habits? And take a picture of how much weight we've lost in food pounds. So a 10 pound loss could be a picture of a 10 lb bag of potatoes.

Week 12 - (begin August 19) - SURPASS YOUR FITNESS/WEIGHT GOALS FROM WEEK 10
This is where we post our week 10 goals and  beat them. Remind me to keep my week 10 goals low. LOL

Week 13 - (begin August 26) - LOW CARB WEEK & NO EATING OUT
We don't eat out and, IF I'm still following the RAW diet, this should not be a problem.

Sept 2 - Final Weigh-in, Measurements, Pictures and Thoughts....

Well alrighty then. It's ON! Wish me luck!

Week 1: Get back into tracking all food and exercise. I will also be keeping a journal to record my thoughts/difficulties/tips/etc. for each day.

Endorphins Do NOT Always Result in Happy

It's been a frustrating couple of days on the exercise/diet front. I let my mind take over. Again.

It all started out innocently enough. I've done something to my right knee and, after starting to walk yesterday morning, realized- rather quickly, that I was not going to be able to run. This did quite a number on my already leaning-towards-negative mood.

After running errands to procure necessary items to travel to the dang wedding this weekend -because God forbid we not have a cooler so that the husband can snack all the way to Timbuktu and back-- coming back home and making homemade snacks-- because if he's going to eat all the way to Timbuktu and back I'm going to make sure it's all healthy eating-- I then realized I still needed to do the 30 Day Shred. Freaking awesome.

I plugged my iPod into the speakers and listened for a few minutes in the hope that inspiration would pounce upon me and thrust me into a better mood and decided that, since I was unable to run, I would proceed with the shred- level 2. Idiot.

I wasn't in the mood. It was all halfhearted. But the stubborn side of me was not going to let the shred go undone. The other stubborn side was not going to let go of my set-up-for-failure mood.

The humidity was through the roof even though the AC was cranking (there's another tropical depression out in the Atlantic-you know, that big pool of water not 5 minutes from our house...), I was in a seriously not good mood, and frustrated. NOT a good time to challenge myself.

I thought that endorphins made people happy. Made them feel good. All they did to me yesterday during the shred was piss me off. If anyone had walked through the door at that time---well, let's just say it was a really good thing that they didn't.

And then, my mind took over. The mean, hateful part. The part I try to avoid at all costs.

"This is getting you no where."
"That scale is not moving."
"You're working hard for nothing."

Same sh!t, different day. Some things just never seem to change.

I didn't stop, I just had a frustrating workout. But I didn't stop. And I won't quit. But I'm still a little frustrated.

And in a bad mood- although not near as bad as yesterday.

Probably not the best weekend to attend a wedding.

The point is that, although you may be on the most frustrating journey you've ever been on in your life, you just have to keep on putting one foot in front of the other. Don't let yourself quit- do what you have to do whether you want to do it or not. That light at the end of the tunnel is there whether we see it or not.

OH- and don't buy that Cocoa Almond Spread from Trader Joe's. It is SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS. If you're on the same dang journey I'm on, AVOID IT! Of course, if you just can't help yourself, try this recipe:

Rice Krispies (of a different sort)

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Cocoa Almond Spread
4 cups Erewhon Rice Cereal (this is gluten free)

Melt the honey and almond spread together either in the microwave (30 seconds) or stove top (about 5 minutes). When completely melted, mix together thoroughly, pour into the rice cereal and mix together. Spread the mixture in 8x8 dish and store in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

That's IT! Once they're set, just cut them and ENJOY! And don't worry, they're so dang sweet you can't even eat a whole one at one time. They'll make you feel better too! ;) 

We're off to the wedding so I'll see y'all on the flip side of the weekend! Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Tools, Lists, and Feats

There is no Hodge Podge this week. Joyce's 17 year old niece, Anna, passed away. If you have a minute, stop by From This Side of the Pond and share some love with Joyce. And please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.  

Since there is a break in the Hump Day HOPS, I want to share a new-to-me website. It's called DailyFeats and I'm loving it. What a fantastic tool for keeping me accountable for---everything.

There are challenges that you can check out and join. The site then creates you lists and, as you complete a feat (or task) it is moved to the 'done today' section of the lists.

You may be saying, "But I can make my own list." Sure you can!

But who's keeping you accountable for completing your tasks? What's motivating you to get it done?

That's what I really like about DailyFeats! AND, they give you points for completions and these points are redeemable for GIFT CARDS! WHAT?!

I headed over there and joined just yesterday. I've already entered a couple of health and fitness related challenges as well as a pet care challenge and, since I'm working on my mental 'Zen', a challenge that focuses on positivity. 

No, I don't get anything for posting about this site. They don't even know I'm doing it. I'm just sold on it!  And, when I'm sold on something, it's easy to get behind it!

I've been having a few motivation issues lately and this is one tool I'm using to get me out of my funk. My exercising is going well with the 30 Day Shred but I'm getting slack on my running.

The running has turned into walking Tucker. Who stops after about half a mile to be carried. It's hot and humid so I don't blame him. I would rather be carried too.

But the eating has been horrific. Not bad food just too much of good food. Remember, even if you're eating healthy, you must sill count calories if you want to lose weight. 

My hope is that these lists will hold me accountable for completing each health and fitness feat that I need to continue with as well as help get my mental 'Zen' up and running...HA! running--LOL

There are lists for so many different things- not just health and fitness. There are challenges for finances, saving the world, ebay, spring cleaning, politics, quitting smoking- and much more! 

If you check out DailyFeats, let me know. Maybe we can help each other over there! 

Smoothie Mother-lode

I've found it! The smoothie mother-lode! Holy Cow! This is awesome!

Her name is Olivia Parker and her book---the mother-lode- is Sensational Smoothies, Drink You Way to Health Deliciously!

I've looked over this wonderful eBook and I can't find one piece of information left out. If there's a question you have about smoothies and their relation to health- it's answered in this book.

Does she include any recipes? DOES SHE?! That's a big Y.E.S.

Besides information, she also includes over 180 recipes! I read through the book myself and found so much information that I hadn't even thought of before. If you're new to the smoothie experience, this is THE book to own!

Olivia even includes recipes that require you to use CHOCOLATE! WHAT?! AND---if you do decide to buy the ebook, Olivia is including 3--THREE--other ebooks for no extra cost! (Geez, I sound like a freaking infomercial). Seriously, it is such a beneficial book for learning all about smoothies!

Y'all can click the banner on this post or the one on my sidebar to get the whole story on Olivia's book(s)! Meanwhile, here's a guest post to check out! 

Low Fat Smoothie Recipes for the Health Conscious You

By: Olivia Parker 

A lot of people are now becoming more conscious of staying and being healthy. They look for ways to improve their diet and incorporate exercise into their lifestyle. And since smoothies are so good, a lot of people are turning to smoothies and learning how to make smoothies that not only taste good but are healthy all around, too.
Smoothies fit a healthy lifestyle perfectly. It allows heath conscious people to enjoy a refreshing drink and lose weight at the same time. If you’re looking for a low-fat food source, it’s the perfect guilt-free treat. It’s also very easy and very convenient to prepare. All you need is a blender where you can mix and combine fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients. You can create recipes that provide you with an energy boost, add lots of fiber, provide your daily dose of minerals and vitamins and so much more.

Health conscious people will be happy to note that smoothies also provide these host of benefits:

-    You can add natural fruit juices that contain vitamin c; studies have also shown it to be beneficial and helpful in the prevention of certain cancers and other debilitating diseases or illnesses.

-    Smoothies made of fruits and vegetables boost your immune system and help speed up metabolism (at least, some fruit juices do)

-    Because fruits and vegetables are broken down, the nutrients are absorbed easily by the body.

-    Smoothies can replace meals and provide you with the energy you need to last the day. This is why smoothie breakfasts are perfect if you need to go to a workout, or before going to work.

-    Smoothies with fruits and vegetables can help correct your body’s acidity or alkalinity balance (since fruits have natural acids and enzymes)

Here are some tried-and-tested smoothies, perfect for the start of your healthy lifestyle:

-          Combine and blend the following ingredients: 1 cup of milk, 1 packet of instant plain oatmeal (or about 1 cup of it), 1 cup of orange juice, and 1 frozen chunked banana. Blend and process for about a minute. Serve immediately.

-          Blend 1 frozen banana (chilled or frozen fruits exude much more of the fruit’s natural sweetness – you don’t even have to put sugar or honey to sweeten your smoothie), ½ cup of low fat milk, ½ a cup of shredded ice, and 2 8-oz. of low-fat yogurt (you can choose your favorite flavor). Blend and serve immediately.

-          If you love apples, you should definitely try this: Blend 6 oz. cold apple juice, 1 cup skimmed milk, 8 oz. of vanilla or plain low-fat yogurt, 3 to 4 crushed ice cubes and a dash of apple pie spice (optional). This yields about 4 cups so it’s perfect for the whole family.

-          If you’re into soy products, then you’re going to love this: Blend 1 cup of soy milk, 1 frozen banana, 2 cups of pineapple juice, 2 tablespoons non-fat dry milk, 2 to 3 ice cubes, 1 tablespoon of coconut milk (or coconut essence/extract), and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Blend until smooth, and as usual, serve immediately.

Having low-fat smoothies as part of your diet isn’t hard to assimilate. The key is variety - which you can easily achieve these days with books like “Sensational Smoothies: Drink Your Way To Health Deliciously”. Reconcile yourself with the idea that smoothies – although sinfully delicious – are a great way to inject some healthiness in your diet. 


WooHoo! What are you doing to get healthy this week?

You

This post is about YOU.

YOU women out there who take care of everyone else except yourselves. I know YOU because I'm one of YOU. Or, I used to be.

There is nothing in the world I wouldn't have done for the lovelies when they were growing up. No one single thing. Heck, I'll still do for them now. But I was so busy paying attention to their extracurricular activities, school, friend connections, etc. that I completely failed to pay attention to me.

I never said no to anyone. Only to myself. Sound familiar?

Am I sorry? Not really. I mean, I wouldn't change most of way I did. However, I would add some time for me in there. Time that would have kept me healthy. And fit. And slim&trim. Time that would have made me a better role model for the lovelies. At least in the area of health and fitness. I'll just have to settle for the fact that they are still watching. And still learning. And still willing to follow my lead.  

I guess it comes down to this-

• do YOU want to see your kids/grandkids grow up?
• do YOU want to be a health, fit model for your kids/grandkids to follow?
• do YOU want to enjoy your life?
• do YOU want to walk up a flight or ten of stairs and live to tell it?
• do YOU want to stop being a spectator?
• do YOU want to walk from your house to your car without becoming short of breath?

Then please realize that:

• YOU are a worthwhile human being!
• YOU are important to those around you!
• YOU are awesome/fabulous/terrific!
• YOU are a treasure!
• YOU are loved!
• YOU are strong!
• YOU can do whatever you set your mind to do!
• YOU ROCK!  

This is the twenty-fifth day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is Y and my word for the day is YOU.

X- Marks the Spot

I've heard that Pirates used an 'X' to mark the spot where they buried their treasure. I thought about marking an 'X' on the body part that needs the most work but then I've have thousands of 'x-es' all over my body. Cause there's not just one place. So, I've got an 'X' marking the spot where my ideal weight is. And it seems to be taking for-freaking-EVER to get there.

I wonder what it is I will do when I hit the 'X' marking the end of my weight loss journey? I haven't been at my ideal weight for at least 10 years. I'm not sure I'll know how to act.

I've been hiding behind my girth for some time now. I haven't gone places or done things just because I was so very much overweight. I'm still overweight. But not as much. And already things are starting to change.

I ordered a dress to wear to a wedding at the end of May. I ordered it a size smaller than I usually do. It arrived yesterday and it is at least 2 sizes too big. Which is great news, right? That means I'm getting a little closer to that 'X'. But it's kind of weird. I'm a little freaked out.

I don't mind as much going out in public anymore. I actually look forward to attending certain events now. But it's a little freaky. Because I don't know who this healthier, fitter, a little less overweight person is. She's been gone for such a long time.

So maybe it really is a good thing that this journey is so dang slow. Maybe it takes a long time to reach that 'X' because those of us on this path have to get to know our healthier selves. We have to get to know who we are without all that excess weight holding us back.

And people had better watch out. Because I have a feeling that, when we do get to know our healthier, fitter, less overweight selves, we'll be out there enjoying life more than we ever have before!

This is the twenty-fourth day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is X and my word for the day is X MARKS THE SPOT.

Workout- What else

It just follows that I would use workout for my 'W' word. It goes right along with my theme of health and fitness this month!

There's just no way to get fit, healthy and/or lose weight without working out. It can't be done. We have to participate in some form of working out.

Since the very first time I decided to get fit/healthy/lose weight I've gone through quite a lot of workout options. I finally arrived at the walking/running combo but check out this list of the things I tried before I got there (in no certain order):

• Wii Fit- fun but didn't last
• Yoga Booty Ballet- Holy Cow! This is intense and works great but was short lived.
• Tae Bo- OUCH! I never figured out how to breathe AND workout to this.
• Richard Simons Sweatin' to the Oldies: couldn't do it. I hurt myself from laughing. 
• P 90x- WTH?!
• the treadmill- LOVED this but stopped when I started walking outside every day.
• the gym- short lived but sure did enjoy watching those 30 year old guys lift weights.
• Walk away the pounds- B.O.R.I.N.G.
• spin class- LOVED this! But my rear didn't. I never did get adjusted to that seat.
• biking- this was fun and done in combination with walking. Tuck even had a basket on the front. But DoodleBug's bike was stolen from her house downtown so I gave her mine. College kids downtown must have bikes.
• Pilates- LOVE this! Will probably take it back up at some point.
• Zumba- I actually liked this, might have to pick it back up.
• Wii Just Dance- still do this but mostly for fun.
• Aerobics- dance: I would have enjoyed this if they didn't do stupid steps and repeat them for ten hours.
• Yoga- HA! NEVER again
• Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred- I really like this which is surprising because I hate her. But this is good and I am going to start alternating this with running next week. Thanks to  Momma Brown for the idea!
• Walking/running: I'm doing this now and I LOVE it! 

Ok, so looking at this list makes me realize that I really do have the attention span of a Boykin Spaniel. What can I say? I get bored. Easily.

But here's the point I'd rather you take from my list: Just keep trying different things until you find what you enjoy doing! If you find the thing you enjoy, you will easily find the time to do it and you won't stop!

The benefits will blow you away! You will, to name a few:

• have more energy
• breathe easier
• tone your muscles
• build your endurance
• improve your mood (endorphins do a mood good!)
• lose weight

In other words, you will GET FIT!

So share- what's your workout like?

This is the twenty-third day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is W and my word for the day is WORKOUT.

Value

It can be rather easy to see the value of a thing. Just walk into a department store and look at the prices. Merchants have given value to their products. Of course, this is in no way related to actual product value to consumers but more a value attributed to give merchants their profit and to try and convince consumers that the product will be of great value to them.

Sometimes we fall for it. Other times, we don't. It depends on what value we do actually put on the product.

For example, I put a lot of value on organic foods vs non-organic. So I am most likely willing to pay more and, in return, I expect that the foods are TRULY organic.

But what about the value that we place on ourselves as individual- wives; husbands; mothers; fathers; sisters; brothers; daughters; sons; friends... That becomes a different story for most of us.

I have no trouble whatsoever recognizing the value of each individual member of my family. It is tremendous! I cannot even imagine my life without them and try to remember this each and every day. It's easy really. Same thing goes for friends- so easy. Including my wonderful blogging friends whom I've never met in person but who, through blogging, have made such a tremendous impact on my life.

What about valuing ourselves though? Not so easy. Why is that? With all the 'hats' we wear, how can we not see just how valuable we are to others and to ourselves?

Had I valued myself throughout these last 20+ years, I would have taken much better care of myself. I would already have been eating foods that were healthy. I would already have been fit. I would have already weighed my ideal weight. None of that held true. Because I didn't value myself.

I think it's easy for mothers to believe that what we do is good for our families and helpful but not valuable. Maybe we think we'd easily be replaced. Maybe we have been led to believe that those close to us don't value us that much so why should we value ourselves. Maybe we find it difficult to give value to someone whose job includes wiping noses and scrubbing toilets. Maybe we're just so focused on nurturing others that we forget about ourselves or take ourselves (our health and well being) for granted. Or maybe it's a combination of all that and more.

Regardless, I am here to tell each and every one of you that you are extremely valuable! There is value in your opinion. There is value in the way you do things. There is value in the way you touch every single life you come into contact with. Without you, the people around you would be missing a huge and very important piece of their lives.

If you are on this path to health and fitness, stay on it. You are worth it! While it may be difficult to assign value to yourself, do it anyway. Too many people have attributed great value to you for you not to recognize it and take great care of yourself. After all, you are the cherries on top!

Go ahead, assign great value to yourself. I triple dog dare you!

This is the twenty-second day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is V and my word for the day is VALUE.

Stop Shooting Yourself in the Foot

I'm referring to triggers. The emotional kind. The ones that make it difficult to stay on the healthy path and to lose weight.

I had TONS of emotional and physical triggers during my first attempt at weight loss and during the first part of this last attempt.

Triggers kept me from traveling the healthy, fit path. Or, rather, I allowed them to control me.

If I ate sugar, that triggered me to eat more sugar. TONS of it. I could eat, in one day, the amount of sugar most people eat in a week. Or so I'm assuming. And the other carbs- pasta, bread, potatoes--all YUMMY and all TRIGGERS to eat moremoremore! There were the times that frustration, anger, boredom, irritation, being sleepy, etc. would trigger an eatanythingyoucangetyourhandson fest.

Seriously, you just don't get this much overweight without being ruled by triggers. 

For nearly one year now, the triggers have been virtually nonexistent. I attribute this to the change in my mindset from merely being about losing weight to taking the steps to living a healthier lifestyle, the steps towards getting fit- the exercising, the food choices, the food prep, the oil pulling, the dry skin brushing, the smoothies- everything altogether, has made all the difference. Oh, those nasty little triggers still show up and give it the old college try. But it doesn't work anymore.

I'm glad their control over me is pretty much all gone. I like being in control.

How do you shoot yourself in the foot? 

This is the twentieth day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is T and my word for the day is TRIGGERS.

Smoothies and Sabotage

Another thing I've started doing every single day on my quest to health and fitness is drinking green smoothies!

Holy Cow! They are DE-FREAKING-LICIOUS! And I am totally ADDICTED!

I make a blender full each morning and drink it all down by the end of the day. So GOOD!

These delightful smoothies are a close second with the dry skin brushing as being my favorite new healthy practices.

These things are so tasty! It's like drinking thick juice! I like to have mine in, what the lovelies always called, a fancy glass. Did I mention that I am totally and completely 100% addicted to them?

Here are the two blogs/sites that got me started:

Green Smoothies/The Tera Warner Blog
Incredible Smoothies

I also wanted to mention sabotage- particularly as it relates to the weight loss part of my journey. I used to be really, really good at sabotaging myself.

I used to struggle with getting upset over the weight thing. It's SUCH A DARN SLOW PROCESS that I would get frustrated with myself. When I got frustrated, I would eat. And eat. My frustrations actually triggered my desire to eat. It became a battle. And the battles were many.

Oh and goodness me!  Let's NOT forget that annoying as hell little inner voice to whom we give permission to say things to us like: "Are you kidding?  This is too hard. Just stay the way you are. It's so much easier to leave well enough alone. Just one bite won't hurt anything..." It will even remind us from time to time that we don’t have what it takes to lose the weight or it's taking too long that it just isn't going to happen or consider your AGE...anything to make us believe losing weight is nothing less than an insurmountable obstacle.

And that's just what some of us do to ourselves.  It's a fight all the way to the finish whether we battle ourselves or others who are not exactly supportive. This time, I am determined to fight it all the way. I am way more stubborn that that annoying as hell inner voice of mine. I now frustrate my frustrations.

And give in to green smoothies instead. 

This is the nineteenth day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is S and my words for the day are SMOOTHIES and SABOTAGE.

Recipes

The first months of being gluten and sugar free required some research for some new recipes. And now that we are considering trying the RAW route for the summer months, I'm on a recipe hunt again.

After a time, it became much easier and, as I got the hang of things, I was able to take my old standby recipes and convert them to suit our new lifestyle eating habits.

The RAW foods are brand new to me but the recipes out there are in abundance! And easy! AND, I won't have to turn on the oven this summer when, instead of temps being hot, they'll be hotter. Which will lead to hotter than hell and then eventually turn into do-not-even-THINK-about-talking-to-me-because-it-is-too-damn-hot-and-you-WILL-draw-back-a-nub.

Wednesday night I tried a few newtome RAW recipes. The college crew LOVED it! (Gotta love having college kids over for new recipes- they'll eat just about anything AND make you feel good about preparing it for them!).

We had veggie roll-ups that looked like Sushi without the fish! Cause I'm NOT eating RAW fish. No. Anyway, they're wrapped in Nori- which is seaweed. 

And a spinach and arugula salad with strawberries and walnuts with a homemade dressing.

And, for dessert, mixed fresh, chopped fruit on Romaine lettuce. It was supposed to be rolled but I couldn't manage the rolling of the Romaine leaf. So it wasn't rolled. It was placed.

We also had some brown rice with roasted veggies just in case they needed more. And they did. But I forgot to take pictures of that.

Here are a few of my favorite websites/blogs for recipes. Some feature RAW, some gluten/sugar free, some have the usual things but made healthier and still others have a nice combination of one or more. Hope you find some you like!

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy and Low Calorie
Koko's Kitchen
The Spunky Coconut
Holistic Kid
Divine Health
In the Raw
Jenn Cuisine
The Coconut Mama
Cultures for Health
The Raw Foods Witch
Sweetly Raw
The Raw Difference
The Rawtarian
Raw Guru
Healthy Blender Recipes

This is the eighteenth day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is R and my word for the day is RECIPES.

Quitting

Is NOT an option.

NOT because I say so. NOT because it's a really great philosophy to develop on the path to health and fitness.

But because, once the journey is underway, you simply won't want to quit. It is no longer an option.

I noticed that, once my goal became one of health and fitness instead of weight loss alone and my body adjusted and became used to the healthier choices I was making, quitting was no longer an issue. My body won't let quitting be one of my options.

My entire being LOVES the choices I am making on this journey to health and fitness. I think that if I walked in a place and there were no choices other than refined sugar, carbs-carbs-carbs, fried foods, white rice/bread, etc., my physical self would have me running out the door before my mind was fully aware of what was going on!

As a matter of fact, those smells that used to send me floating through the grocery store and fast food places now make me squish my nose up. I find those odors nearly repulsive.

Those baked goods? All I can smell is the sugar. And the fast food places? I smell grease. ICK.

Once that first step towards health and fitness is taken, another one follows. And then another. And another. And, the next thing you know, quitting is not even a hint of a thought.

If you've taken the first step, what did you do? If not, will you?

This is the seventeenth day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is Q and my word for the day is QUITTING.