BarbaraS--My Best Health

Yuk.

2011-01-11T04:09:00.001-08:00

In the Dr. Oz Live Better Newsletter, there was a lot of interesting reading. Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary is giving tips on how to fight fat with Ayurveda.
The first step is to drink the detox tea, 4-5 cups, sips throughout the day. For several weeks. It involves drinking a boiled concoction of cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. Sounds disgusting. But I'll give it a try.
Wonder if I can get WonderHusband to do it, too. Nah.

Don't Laugh

2011-01-11T04:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, don't laugh. I joined Dr. Oz's Move It and Lose It in 2011. I shamelessly love the man.
Now why don't I watch his program? Hmm. Should. I could record, watch and skip through the commercials! Great opportunity to focus, work out every day.
That could be genius.

Hmm, chopped salad.

2011-01-09T03:40:00.000-08:00

I saw Mark Bittman's video on nbc.com about three recipes that will change your life--lentils and rice, broccoli stir-fry, and chopped salad. Chopped salad I say what is that? Ahh, well, it's salad makings chopped into small enough bits that you get many ingredients in one bite. Makes sense. Also, it's a healthy and good-looking meal. So I googled chopped salad, and low and behold, not only is there a restaurant called "Chop't Creative Salad Company" , but there is a whole web site for chopped salads. I'll be trying some of those combinations soon.
By the way, I googled "lentils and rice", and by golly, there used to be a a blog called--you got it--lentils and rice, but it is no longer there. Poop. Looked interesting.
And, of course, there are innumerable sites/recipes for stir-fry. I'll be looking at those as well. The seasonings/sauce are a mystery to me.

me 'n Ed Levine

2011-01-08T04:23:00.000-08:00

For those of you that follow Ed Levine of Serious Eats, you know that he posts about his diet every week and how much weight he has lost. Or not. Sometimes he gains, sometimes he loses, but as he states this week, "it's the bigger (or should I say the smaller) picture that counts".
I was surprised to read that he has chosen to lose one pound a month for the next year. Great minds think alike, eh? Oh. I didn't tell you that I was going to try to lose one pound a month this year. Sorry. Really, I'd been saying it at work. Everyone looks at me like I'm nuts. Wow, Barb, GREAT GOAL.
Hey. Better than gaining weight. Or not losing ANY weight.
***
Oh. And did another season of Biggest Loser start? Wow. Missed that. Luckily, my dvr knows to record any new Biggest Loser shows. So, now to watch it.

Maybe not the BIGGEST loser. . .

2010-09-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

but I do want to lose. What better excuse than to lose with Biggest Loser.

More later. . .

well.

2010-08-08T05:26:00.000-07:00

"well."

Not in as "I did well", but rather, as in, "sigh".

In typical Barbie fashion, I couldn't leave well enough alone. Always gotta be tweaking and pushing forward. And I just have to rein myself in and not tweak so much that I hurt myself.

As it is just too durn hot to do most anything outdoors, I went to our beautifully appointed city fitness center. I walked a couple miles at 3.5 mph and rode the stationery cycle for 6.5 miles, 10mph/75rpm/level one. I also went to our subdivision's pool and "swam" 250 yards.

That night, my right knee was cussing me. And I think it was the cycling, because that's the only time my knee was uncomfortable. I think the 6.5 miles was too much.

And I just didn't know a think about riding a stationery bike. Heck, I had to ask how to turn it on. Oh, you have to actually start pedaling for it to turn on. Who knew?

I decided I needed to do some research. I dragged out the beloved Cooper aerobics book and started looking at what it recommended for old geezers like me. And good gracious, the plan doesn't call for riding 7.5 miles until the 15th week. Hmm.

While I was looking at the Cooper book goals, I made some new goals for walking. Cooper calls for swimming 300 yards the first week, too much. I'll work up to that.

The next workout I also went to the workout center. I walked two miles at 4mph, 30 minutes. And I planned to ride the stationery bike at 15mph/55rpm for 4 minutes. (that's 1 mile, geez.) It took some fiddling and diddling with the levels to get comfortably to that goal, but I ended up at level 12/13 to get there. And I ended up riding for 10 minutes. (that's 2.5 miles--I'm smoking, folks!) I didn't always stay as high as 15mph, but my knee isn't screaming at me today, either. I plan on doing this workout for a few more times before moving ahead.

And, finally, I went to the pool and "swam" for 200 yards. That wasn't my goal, but there were a lot of kids at the pool, and they were swimming across the pool, instead of with the lanes. I am beginning to think I need to consider the pool at the fitness center earlier than I had planned. They always have lanes open just for lap swimming. But for me, it's an embarrassment thing. No one in the lanes swims as poorly as I do, or is as heavy as I am. My goal is to continue to improve my swimming skills and lose enough weight by the time our outdoor pool closes so that I can swim laps at the indoor pool, which I am guessing (unable to find info at the hoa website) is 4-6 weeks away. I can do it.

Down and out

2010-07-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

I will post more often. Promise. There hasn't been a whole lot to say. Injured my shoulder, not exercising, but at work. It was all I could do to go to work and do my job for two months. I think the durn thing was semi-dislocated, because as I was healing, I started lifting light weights and when I did a chest press, there was a distinct CLUNK and although it hurt like a mother at the time, (seriously, it was one of those moments where the tears sprang out of my eyes), my shoulder hurt much less afterwards.
I know, I shoulda gone to the doctor. Have I gone yet? No. I know. I'm stubborn like that.
One of the blogs I follow, Tallgrass Prairie Studio, is sponsoring a quilting/fitness challenge called the "Improv(E) Your Butt Challenge". And heaven knows, I need to exercise more and quilt more.
My goal is to complete a quarter triathlon every week. That's 0.6 miles swimming, 28 miles cycling, and 6.5 miles running. Every day I'm not working (4 days a week), my goal is to "swim" 0.15 miles, bike 7 miles and "run" 1.625 miles. Since I'm just starting out, and I'm still dealing with my shoulder injury, "swimming" will consist of just moving through the water as best as I can, biking will consist of me trying my best to move forward and not fall off the bike, and running will consist of a combination of walking and jogging.
I do want to continue with a couple sessions of yoga and pilates per week and getting back to lifting weights regularly.
And eat clean. I know I can do it.

weights

2010-04-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

This week I amazed myself. Temporarily.

Using free weights, dumbbells only, I did an hour plus some workout for my upper body. Biceps, triceps, back, shoulders, chest. I started low in weights and was determined to seek that goal of finding the heaviest weights I could lift. I was thinking in the range I had been working out, eight to 12 pounds. I knew I would be going up to at least fifteen pounds this workout.

I started with ten pounds and increased to 12, then 15, then 18 pounds on each cycle, and did a decreasing amount of reps--12, 10, 8, 6. I even did an extra cycle of 12 pounds of ten reps.

What surprised me was that I could do more than I thought I could do. I was able to get up to 18 pounds, 6 reps, on dumbbell curls (biceps), dumbbell curls (triceps), one arm dumbbell rows (back), bent over raises (shoulders), and dumbbell bench press (chest).

I threw in a few more cycles of dumbbell flyes and seated dumbbell press, which is where I maxed out at 10 pounds, as well, a whole 'nother cycle of ten pounds, ten reps for all seven exercises, and my total weight lifted for that session was about TWO TONS! I was so surprised and proud of myself!

I was talking to my son, who powerlifts, and asked him how many pounds he typically lifts during a session. I knew it was going to be somewhere out there, but a girl has to have something to shoot for, right?

Ba-dum-dum. He said--oh, lemme add it up.....13,400 pounds. Nearly 7 tons!

I know I'll never reach that. I'm a girl and I'm pushing 54 years old. Not gonna happen. And not that I want to. That's not my goal. My goal is to do a time efficient workout, finding weights that are a little stressful, not impossible, and to leave me tired but not wasted.

And, honestly, it didn't occur to me until a couple of days later that, well, I was thinking way too small in terms of weight. I could do a more efficient workout if I could eliminate a few of the types of exercises I do and increase the weights. The plan is to lift four cycles, with increasing weights of 12, 15, 18, 21 for only five exercises--dumbbell curls (biceps), dumbbell curls (triceps), one arm dumbbell rows (back), bent over raises (shoulders), and dumbbell bench press (chest).

And let's see how that goes.

Bike

2010-04-01T10:53:00.001-07:00

Four and a half miles on the bike in 30 minutes. Concentrating on not falling off and trying to pick up my speed.

Ya know---

2009-09-05T08:00:00.001-07:00

Ya know, if I would actually write in my blog once in a while--I might actually keep up with working out.

Well. I have reasons. That I haven't been writing. Or working out. Work. Planning wedding. And planning and giving many of the parties for the wedding. And going to the parties for the wedding. And babysitting the grandson. And making a recipe book for my daughter for a shower gift. And taking Dad to Houston for cancer treatment. And being sick. And getting older and not bouncing back from being sick as fast as I used to.
But they're nothing more than excuses in the end for being a fat lazy slug. Sigh.

But I have lost weight. Eight or nine pounds. Hooray for Weight Watchers.

And we're trying to do as Paleo a diet as possible. Paleo--Weight Watchers. Hmm. Why not?

And I have been listening to the weightloss hypnosis cd from "I Can Make You Thin" when I feel that I'm falling off the wagon with the weight loss. It. Works. Really.

And now that the wedding is over and I'm through the first couple of weeks of taking care of the grandson, and we have a little routine going, and I'm ACTUALLY feeling well--I have no reasons (excuses) not to work out and eat well and lose those extra night shift pounds I've been adding over the last three years.

I'll do a lil' Body for Life, a lil' 0 to 5 k, a lil' cycling, a lil' Cross Fit, a lil' Paleo-Weight Watchers, a lil' yoga, a lil' Pilates, a lil' whatever strikes my fancy. With a goal of an hour a day of activity. Chip's gonna hang the chalkboard in the exercise room to keep track of our weights. And I'm gonna make copies of the BFL program to hang on the walls--I need some kind of cork strips or something to hang them on.

So, in my best Girl Scout pose, taking an oath--I will try my best to exercise every day and post about it, to help my family meet their wellness goals, especially those at home.

Starting Monday when I wake up from my day sleep. Don't laugh. I'm still feeling pretty crummy and I want to concentrate on getting through the next two nights of work.

I can't remember what I've done since the lst post, but--

2009-06-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

last night we took a lovely long walk and went for a short swim at--gasp--ten at night.
must. learn. to. swim.

Recap

2009-06-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Forgot to post all last week. Since that last workout on the 29th, I've done three 0 to 5k "runs". Even though week three was hard, I pushed ahead to week four. After three times of running week four, I am still not up to running five minutes all at once. I am loathe to drop back to week three. I think I will try to do a week three run and see how it feels.
I do feel like I need to add a long run once a week. I need to find my heart rate monitor and that should help push me a bit. I did time myself and I did 11 minute miles. Sigh. I know it'll get better, especially as I lose weight.
Weight? I'm not losing, but I'm not gaining either.
DH and I have decided to strive as much for a Paleo diet as we can. Five days a week is fairly easy for us as we eat at home. Weekends are not so easy, but we decided we're not gonna go crazy with the Paleo thing, just strive for it.
Ahh, lessee, lifting weights. Did that twice since the 29th. Both times I did a 12x12 workout with 42.5 pounds of weights. The first workout I did 100 situps of various kinds, and about 10 minutes of Pilates. The second workout I also added one cycle of upper body workout from Body for Life, lifting what I thought was the heaviest weight I could lift 12 times.
My shoulders and biceps are still tender, and that was four days ago.

Week Three Couch to 5k

2009-05-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Ha, ha, what is this, I'm on week three after eight weeks? Anyway, I did it and it felt fine.

ugh.

2009-05-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

creak, groan, ooh. ahh. stiff. sore. i hate getting old. grumble. grumble. reach for the ibuprofen.

still feeling poorly. dh and i are both feeling stiff and sore this a.m. i think it's something we ate. he thinks it is because he ran last night. But all i did was walk. couldn't muster up the energy to do anything else. too tired.

but couldn't sleep, either. sigh.

Tuesday Doldrums

2009-05-19T08:47:00.001-07:00

I was very hopeful that I could jump right back into working out, that I could resume where I left off. The jog and weightlifting yesterday was relatively painless, but today I am worn out. I forced myself to walk the dog this morning for 50 minutes, at a slow place, about 2mph, and just enjoyed the absolutely beautiful day. I've been very good about eating well and drinking a lot of fluids.
A long walk on a beautiful day with my dog and a long nap should cure this.
And get me ready and raring to go on my two in a row nights at work.

I'll try to workout on Wednesday.

Catching up on posting

2009-05-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

I followed my plan through the first two weeks very well, then fell off due to a long and nasty flu.
Today I've resumed with my plan, today was the third week of Couch to 5k.
The crossfit plan was also week 3: I did deadlift, 42.5 lbs., 15/12/9.
I've also added the "I Can Make You Thin" program. I have listened to the dvd 3x. I'm making my way through the book, too.

I feel very good about being good!

2009-04-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am having so much fun exercising! It IS taking a lot of time, but the time is so enjoyable. It's like that dream I had where the situation was wrong, but my attitude was right, and the joy I felt from running was indescribable. But now I have the opportunity to make the situation right and now that my head is in the right place, too, it is just a joy-filled experience.
I know this is so cornball-sounding. So enough with the corn and on with what I've done.
Monday I followed the Couch to 5k "run" of 1 minute of run, 1.5 minutes of walk. Repeated to equal 20 minutes. I walked the rest of the way, total 40 minutes.
I also did the first day of the Crossfit Routine, deadlifts of 32.5 lbs, reps of 12, 9, 5.
I also did three (Yoga) Sun Salutes, and one cycle of Ab Boot Camp.
DH and I walked the dog for about 45 minutes.

Tuesday I did the Upper Body Routine of Body for Life, except I did the same weight of about 20 pounds if I used a bar or both arms, and 10 pounds if I did each arm individually. I did reps of 12, 10, 8, 6 for each exercise--one for back, shoulders, chest, biceps and triceps. In between each set of reps I walked at three miles per hour on the treadmill. So I did a kind of weiner-y Super Set. In the middle of the workout I did the Crossfit Portion of the workout, which was doing a run of 400 meters. I "ran" at about 5 miles per hour and I was able to run for 2/3's of it before I stopped and rested for about thirty seconds then ran the rest.
I took George for a lovely 45 minute walk. The weather has been beautiful.
This evening I did one cycle of Ab Boot Camp and a Sun Salute, then 40 minutes of Yoga poses from "The Little Yoga Book".

Hoping to keep it up the rest of this week. Luckily Saturday and Sunday are my days off and as I am working Friday and Saturday nights, that works out beautifully.

Pushing

2009-04-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to push myself a bit.
Striving.
Starting The Couch-to-5k Running Plan.
AND starting the Beginner's Crossfit Routine. Here is a link to the pdf I'm using.
AND I'm starting Ab Boot Camp.
AND I'm going to seriously lose some weight!

******
Seriously.

Six weeks till my birthday

2009-03-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Seems like I should do some goals. Thinking. . . .

Beautiful weather

2009-03-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

We are having some beautiful spring weather. I did a quick 25 minute jog and 12x12 weights. Then took a lovely 30 minute walk with DIL and grandbuddy. We saw a little owl in a nesting box in our neighborhood. Beautiful.

Dream

2009-03-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

Last night I dreamed I woke up and just began running. I had on the "wrong" clothes, I hadn't warmed up or stretched, I didn't even let my husband know I was going out to run. I. just. started. running.
It felt so good.
I am going to take that as a sign that my body/mind are ready to start running again.
Today it's raining. But I will get on the treadmill and just go.
Go, go, go.

Weight Tracker

2009-03-11T08:56:00.001-07:00

What I did on Thursday and Friday

2009-01-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

Well, not much, due to the shift from hell on Wednesday, and and a much-better-shift on Thursday. Went for a walk on Friday night for about thirty minutes with the dog and hubby. Hubby wasn't feeling very well, so we came home early. He got called in to work, which, thankfully, is only a few minutes away, but came home dragging his hind end. He went straight to the bed and within thirty minutes vomited. I've never seen him so sick. Poor thing was shaking with the chills so hard that I thought he was speaking gibberish. That was a full blown GI bug or food poisoning. All plans to work out went by the wayside so I could take care of my sweetheart.
Praying I don't get it. I have a minor cold now.
This morning I will work out with weights and do some ab workout and yoga. Maybe walk later. Later because now it is 34 degrees with a wind chill of 23 degrees. Wind is gusting to 26, sustained winds of 17 mph. Not going out in that.
Working (at work) tonight and tomorrow, so little working out to on Sunday/Monday.

What I did on Wednesday, but didn't say so!

2009-01-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Wednesday I did the BFL upper body workout, and I shoulda posted immediately, cuz I forget what I did. I know I used the free bar a lot and started with 22.5 and added 5 pounds each time. And I used the bar on my machine a lot too to do back, triceps and shoulder workout. If I remember correctly, I started with 20 pounds and then added five pounds each time. Except for the triceps, and I started with 15 pounds and added 2.5 pounds each time. I think. I'll have to try to look at what is left on the bar and machine and figure from there.
Anyway, I also did a yoga workout. And walked the dog for about an hour. The weather was lovely.

A Fair Start

2009-01-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

I did a BFL lower body workout. Used the bar only as the other equipment is still pushed up against the wall. Started with 27.5 lbs. on the bar and added 5 lbs each time. (42.5 at the end)
Also did some yoga stretches, but that was cut short due to DIL phone call.
Had a massage.
I am wicked sore this a.m.
Headache that started right after massage, will not quit, woke me up several times last night, even with 400mg. Ibuprofen. Back hurts in my tender spot, has since I over did on Saturday.
Trying to drink an enormous amount of water to help flush.
Niece over for dinner last night. Chicken, rice pilaf and carrots for dinner. Still plowing through all the bad food.
***
Today I'll do an aerobic work out. Plan is to warm up well with yoga, then walk/jog out for 15 minutes and back. After the rain stops. Hopefully this afternoon.

Starting: A Body for Life Challenge

2009-01-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

Starting today! Finishes approximately April 5. (Twelve weeks.)
Goals for this challenge:
1) Lose at least five pounds.
2) Reduce intake of processed foods, increase intake of organic/local foods.
3) BFL 3x per week.
4) Aerobic workout of walking/jogging/running of at least 30 minutes 4x per week.
5) Pilates workout of at least 30 minutes 2x per week.
6) Yoga workout of at least 30 minutes 2x per week.
7) Abs workout at least 2x per week.
8) Ride bike at least 30 minutes 4x per week.
9) and usual daily goals--meditate 15 minutes per day, drink at least 8 glasses of water, eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, take my vitamins, floss my teeth.

Well.

2008-10-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

Well.
Would that be another long period of time since my last post.
It would.
There seems to be another landmark, that is, the last sixty days of the year are upon us. It seems fitting to remark that this should be another time for me to post and state my recommitment to my best health.
And well it should, for I have not been altogether good. Not altogether bad either. But definitely lacking.
So there.
I recommit to my best health. For the rest of the year, the rest of my life.
Really.

Absent, but not Idle

2008-08-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

I've been working out-really! After we nearly killed ourselves moving from the old house to the new one, we rested a couple weeks and then started back to working out. The new neighborhood is perfect for walking with wide sidewalks and soft hills and a beautiful pathed walkway through the woods all the way down to Bethany (about three miles). Lovely.
Most weeks I lift weights two or three times for about 45 minutes each session, and walk 45 minutes every morning I'm not working, which amounts to four times a week. In the evenings, husband and I will walk or ride bikes for 45 minutes or so. At least once a week, I like to "try" and do a Jillian Michaels workout. I can do about half of what she wants you to do, about halfway. At least I try. I spend a lot of the workout time just laughing at myself. Pushups the "real" way? Ya gotta be kidding!
Today, Sunday, the official start of the week, I walked 55 minutes with husband and George the dog. Then did a 12x12 weight routine, then a concentrated workout on the shoulders and chest, for a total of about 45 minutes. Then abs for about five minutes.

Last post--March 19? What the?

2008-04-21T09:23:00.001-07:00

And that is due to one thing--getting this house on the market has been a real time hog. There has been no time for exercise, at least not of the "take a walk, lift weights" type, but certainly of the "up and down the ladder, painting everything in sight" type. Once the house is on the market, this should all change.
I hope.

Six weeks plus a little

2008-03-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

So Easter will be six weeks till my birthday. Keeping up with my goals has not been easy. I've had a lot of days that I have just not felt well at all. Most of it is hormonal, but have had some funky little virus-y type illnesses, like little bit of fever, malaise, stomachache. Sometimes it is hormonal, as in migraine, but now there is a new one--anxiety attacks, which cause insomnia and bad dreams, and something close to panic attacks. It feels very out of control. I can link it to work, and quite possibly that could also be linked to Benadryl, which I take before work for a 2-3 hour nap, or Ambien, which I take after work. Wonder if Ambien causes anxiety attacks. Typically the panic/anxiety attack will be about 12 hours after I take the Ambien.
Sigh. Time to review.
And, yes, Ambien can cause panic attacks. So guess I won't be taking that anymore. And that just reinforces my dislike of taking medicine.

FOOD
Another thing I have noted is that if I drink a lot of Diet Coke, or drink Diet Coke without being well-hydrated, I have increased PMS symptoms, and a "hard" menstrual period. I will watch my intake carefully.
I have started following the "I Can Make You Thin" series. This week I am supposed to: 1) eat when I am hungry, 2) eat what I want, 3) eat consciously, 4) eat till I'm full (I think that is the last one). Eating when I am hungry is a problem, as I eat emotionally. Eating consciously is also a problem, especially when I have to stuff myself in five minutes or less for lunch at work, or shovel food in to stoke the furnace before work. Guess I will have to work on those things. Eating consciously is not so hard, and certainly eating what I want is easy. I will try to improve the eating consciously thing by turning off the television when I eat. This will also be good for Chip and I so we can talk in the evening.
I generally eat well, and have been trying very hard, not always successfully, but I would say more and more successfully, to eat well.

EXERCISE:
This I have not done very well. Working on the house has taken top priority, and although I get a lot of exercise painting and so forth, it bites into the time I usually spend devoted to exercising. All of the bedrooms are complete now, so I don't have an excuse not to lift weights. Husband got out the military workout, and we both need to start AND CONTINUE that. And since Daylight Savings Time, we have been taking walks at night when he gets home from work. Somewhere in all the moving of stuff, I lost my Pilates dvd, and one of my goals today is to find that dvd.

SUMMARY:
NOW, about that six weeks thing; I'm getting closer and closer to the 52nd birthday, and as I am actually working on Easter (six weeks before my birthday), I figured it would be a good idea to think about and recommit to those goals of being in the best shape of my life. Obviously, I am not going to be in the best shape of my life by my birthday, but the process of moving in that direction is the actual goal.

89 Days to Go

2008-02-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

And here's a happy picture to balance out the not-so-happy ones--

Not doing so well--I have all the excuses, but no real reasons. It's a process, right?

94 Days to go

2008-02-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took some pictures of myself. Here are the links to the pics--they are private, as I didn't want to frighten anyone.
Front View
Side View
Rear View
Close-up Face

Observations:
My rosacea looks pretty good. Heck, my skin looks pretty good for my age. I have a little droopiness that is developing along my jawline, which I am hoping will disappear with weight loss.
My hair. Heaven help me, what am I gonna do with my hair? Answer: it must be styled. All the time. I'm going to try and go natural in color again.
Body looks fairly proportional. I have this wierd look with my thighs, a few inches above my knees, they just explode. I will work hard on that during the weight loss, massage and extra leg exercises.
Everything looks pretty "up there", things look fairly firm, just large. I have the one feature that I have always dreaded and despised--my tummy sticks out as much as my boobs do. But I do have to say that this swimsuit smashes my boobs something terrible, to the point of, it's uncomfortable. But my tummy "is" big.

95 Days and Counting

2008-01-31T03:32:00.000-08:00

Here I am at Wednesday, 95 days more in my quest to "My Best Me". I'm keeping up poorly with my daily goals. Bad weather and inaccessibility to the exercise equipment have given me an excuse not to exercise. So, I resolve to do better with that.

I need to add a goal--the keeping of a DAILY food journal.

So today my goals are:
1) brush and floss my teeth
2) meditate five minutes--use the meditation podcasts I have on my iPod
3) walk three miles--listen to knitting podcasts
4) lift weights or do some other activity such as Pilates/Yoga--this will mean that I have to clear out the exercise room and maintain workout space
5) drink copious amounts of water--clean out the Brita, put a new filter in, fill up and empty it twice today
6) take my vitamins--even if it is just my multivitamin
7) eat as organically as possible--no problem
8) talk to two people I love--call Mom today
9) get appropriate amounts of sleep--
10) keep a food journal online here

What I ate today:
B: 1 cup of Kashi--190 kcal.
1/4 cup blueberries--20 kcal.
1 cup of milk--120 kcal.
total: 300 kcal.
L: Taco Bell quesadillas--350
1/2 cup carrots--20
8 vanilla wafers--140
total: 510 + 300 = 810
snack: T of peanut butter on 3 whole grain crackers, apple--250
total: 810+250+1060
D: 4 oz. salmon--200
1/2 sweet potato with 1/2 T. butter--105
1 c. spinach--20
Snack--10 cookies--180
cereal--frosted mini-wheats--100
milk--1/2 cup--60
total: 340+1060=1400 calories

Day One--99 days to my best health for the rest of my life

2008-01-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

I just really do want to get in the best shape of my life. I really, really do.

I am motivated by fear. Over the last year I have watched my mother's rapid health deterioration. It's not that she hasn't had a slow deterioration over the past five years, because she has, but the last year has been devastating. And quite sad. And a majority of it could have been avoided had she taken care of herself. If she had been an appropriate weight, and exercised appropriately, most of this sufferig could have been avoided.

And I can learn from her mistakes. I cannot continue to live as I am or I will follow down my mother's path in life.

Therefore, I am here to ACT. I am here to achieve my best health--ever and forever.

I eat fairly well. That is, I know how to eat well. But I don't always eat well. And I can. And will. Now.

I have an active life. That is, at work. I'm a nurse, and my job makes me walk. A lot, three to five miles in a 12 hour shift. Three times a week. I know how to exercise and what my body responds well to, and I have the equipment to exercise. But I don't exercise regularly. And I can. And will. Now.

My current daily goals are to brush and floss my teeth, meditate five minutes, walk three miles, lift weights or do some other activity such as Pilates/Yoga, drink copious amounts of water, take my vitamins, eat as organically as possible, talk to two people I love and get appropriate amounts of sleep.

I would like to do all of those every single day and add a new long term goal--I would like to lose twenty pounds. Twenty pounds, yes, twenty pounds. I'm not sure if I can do it by myself. I lost thirteen pounds as recently as five years ago, but I've gained it all back and more. So I know I can do it, there was something in the past that demanded that I lose that weight. I had a good motivation, the wedding of my son. And I looked GOOD. I had tons of energy, and I felt really, really good, too. This time I am motivated by not so positively, I'm motivated by fear and embarrassment. Somehow I need to turn that around and make my motivation positive. And for that my goal needs to be what I envision for myself, that vision of a glowingly healthy soon to be 52 year old woman who is a role model and at the height of her wellbeing.
My birthday is 99 days away. Ninety-nine days to My Best Health. Ninety-nine days to My Best Health for the REST OF MY LIFE.